2022 World Junior Championships: Day 2 Prelims Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 30-September 4, 2022
• Lima, Peru
• Long Course Meters (50m), Prelims/Semis/Finals
• Prelims: 9:30AM Central (local time)
• Finals: 6:00PM Central (local time)
• Meet Site
• Event Schedule
• Live Results
• Entries List
• Top 5 Girls’ Storylines
• Top 5 Boys’ Storylines
• Click here to download an Excel sheet with events by swimmer
• Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• FINA YouTube Link (USA, Canada)
• How to Watch

Day 2 prelims of the 2022 World Junior Championships in Lima, Peru will feature heats of the boys 200 IM, girls 100 free, boys 100 fly, girls 200 fly, boys 200 free, mixed 4×100 medley relay, and girls 800 free. Notably, the girls 800 free is a timed finals event, so the slowest 3 heats will be swum this morning and the fastest heat will be swum with finals tonight.

Probably the most anticipated prelims event of the day is the boys 200 free, where 17-year-old Romanian David Popovici enters the meet as the top seed by a truly massive margin and the fastest swimmer in the world this year. Popovici is entered at 1:44.68, which is already fast enough, but don’t let that fool you. The phenom swam a 1:42.97 to win gold at the European Championships a few weeks ago, shattering the World Junior Record in the event. After breaking the World Junior Championship Record in the 100 free twice on day 1, we’ll be looking for Popovici to crack the 1:46.40 Championship Record in the 200 free as early as prelims this morning.

Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro broke the Portuguese Record in 100 fly at the European Championships a few weeks ago, and enters these Championships as the top seed in the boys 100 fly this morning. With his time of 52.31, Ribeiro leads the Czech Republic’s Daniel Gracik by just 0.38 seconds. Brazil’s Pedro Souza also enters this morning with a sub-53 time, coming in as the #3 seed with a 53.97. We’ll be looking out for South Africa’s Pieter Coetze as well after he broke the African Record in the 100 back in last night’s semifinals.

After a solid 1:58 leading off Hungary’s girls 4×200 free relay last night, 16-year-old Nikolett Padar enters the girls 100 free this morning as the top seed. Padar is seeded at 54.69, putting her first on the psych sheet by nearly a full second.

You can view a live stream of the session on FINA’s YouTube Channel. We have also included that stream below:

BOYS 200 IM – HEATS

• World Record – 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (2011)
• World Junior Record – 1:56.99, Hubert Kos (2021)
• World Jr Champ Record – 1:58.46, Carson Foster (2019)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Sanberk Yigit Oktar (TUR) – 2:01.76
2. Simone Spediacci (ITA) – 2:02.54
3. Tomoyuki Matsushita (JPN) – 2:02.64
4. Minkyu Noh (KOR) – 2:02.71
5. Klan Keylock (RSA) – 2:03.41
6. Roberto Bonilla (GUA) – 2:03.47
7. Yuta Watanabe (JPN) – 2:03.73
8. Kun-Ming Fu (TPE) – 2:03.80

Turkey’s Sanberk Yigit Oktar, who just turned 18 last week, led prelims of the boys 200 IM with a 2:01.76 this morning. Oktar set the tone early, splitting 26.13 on fly, which was the fastest fly split in the field. He then followed that up with a 30.13 back split, which was also the fastest back split in the field.

Simone Spediacci (Italy) was 2nd this morning in 2:02.54, putting together a 36.11 breast split and 28.72 free split for a 1:04.83 on the 2nd 100. Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita, who was the top seed coming into the meet, was 3rd this morning in 2:02.64. Matsushita was moving on the breast leg, splitting a 35.68.

Guatemala’s Roberto Bonilla had the fastest breast split in the field, coming in at 35.31.

GIRLS 100 FREESTYLE – HEATS

• World Record – 51.71, Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
• World Junior Record – 52.70, Penny Oleksiak (2016)
• World Jr Champ Record – 53.63, Taylor Ruck (2017)

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Matilde Biagiotti (ITA) – 55.92
2. Marina Cacciapuoti (ITA) – 56.21
3. Nikolett Padar (HUN) – 56.28
4. Bianca-Andreea Costea (ROU) – 57.06
5. Beatriz Bezerra (BRA) – 57.22
6. Celine Bispo (BRA) – 57.24
7. Paulina Cierpialowska (POL) – 57.46
8. Lili Gyurinovics (HUN) – 57.51
9. Jaeyun Song (KOR) – 57.70
10. Cristina Ciobanu Spataru (ESP) – 57.75
11. Julia Kulik (POL) – 57.76
12. Mina Kaljevic (SRB) – 57.92
13. Jessica Carmody (RSA) – 57.96
14. Isabella Bedoya Calle (COL) – 58.34
15. Luna Chabat (URU) – 58.64
16. Seoa Lee (KOR) – 58.66

Italy was on top in prelims of the girls 100 free this morning, seeing Matilde Biagiotti and Marina Cacciapuoti take the top 2 seeds for semifinals tonight. Biagiotti was the only swimmer in the field to crack 56 seconds this morning, though that should change tonight.

Hungary’s Nikolett Padar was 56.48 this morning, though she entered the meet as the only swimmer in the field who has been under 55 seconds in the event before. She might not necessarily need to go a 54 tonight, but we can reasonably expect that she’ll be faster than she was this morning. Pudar was instrumental in Hungary winning gold in the girls 4×200 free relay last night, leading the team off in a 1:58.37, which was the only sub-2:00 split in the field.

BOYS 100 BUTTERFLY – HEATS

• World Record – 49.45, Caeleb Dressel (2021)
• World Junior Record – 50.62, Kristof Milak (2017)
• World Jr Champ Record – 51.08, Kristof Milak (2017)

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Diogo Ribeiro (POR) – 53.22
2. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) – 53.64
3. Casper Puggard (DEN) – 53.67
4. Michal Chmielewski (POL) – 53.86
5. Diego Nicolas Balbia Alayao (PER) – 53.88 (TIE)
6. Daniel Gracik (CZE) – 53.88 (TIE)
7. Yohan Airaud (FRA) – 53.93
8. Elia Codardini (ITA) – 54.11
9. Lucas Tudoras (BRA) – 54.26
10. Pedro Souza (BRA) – 54.40
11. Tobias Kern (CZE) – 54.52
12. Emil Jose Perez Avila (VEN) – 54.56
13. Junheon Hwangbo (KOR) – 54.60
14. Mark Horvath (AUT) – 55.18
15. Felipe Baffico (CHI) – 55.19
16. Ziyad Al Salous (JOR) – 55.63

After swimming to a new Portuguese Record in the event at the European Championships a few weeks ago, Diogo Ribeiro led prelims this morning with a 53.22 in the boys 100 fly. It was a solid swim for Ribeiro, nearly half a second ahead of 2nd place Krzysztof Chmielewski and Denmark’s Caspar Puggard.

Krzysztof’s brother, Michal Chmielewski, also advanced to semifinals, finishing 4th in 53.86.

Notably, South Africa’s Pieter Coetze, swam the event this morning but was disqualified. Coetze was contender in this race after breaking the African Record in semifinals of the 100 back last night.

GIRLS 200 BUTTERFLY – HEATS

• World Record – 2:01.81, Zige Liu (2009)
• World Junior Record – 2:05.20, Summer McIntosh (2022)
• World Jr Champ Record – 2:07.74, Emily Large (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Paola Borrelli (ITA) – 2:14.29
2. Sze Ki Mok (HKG) – 2:14.47
3. Mehlika Kuzeh Yalcin (TUR) – 2:15.02
4. Anna Porcari (ITA) – 2:15.08
5. Andra-Denisa Gorecki (ROU) – 2:16.06
6. Maria Victoria Yegres Cottin (VEN) – 2:16.57
7. Vivien Jackl (HUN) – 2:17.80
8. Apeksha Delyla Fernandes (IND) – 2:18.18

Italy’s Paola Borrelli led prelims this morning with a 2:14.29, keeping the country’s strong performance in the girl events rolling. Hong Kong’s Sze Ki Mok was right behind, swimming a 2:14.47.

Notably, Hungarian 13-year-old Vivien Jackl made it through to finals tonight, swimming a 2:17.80 this morning. Also, India’s Apeksha Delyla Fernandes finished 8th this morning in 2:18.18. That swim marks a new Indian Record in the event.

BOYS 200 FREESTYLE – HEATS

• World Record – 1:42.00, Paul Biedermann (2009)
• World Junior Record – 1:42.97, David Popovici (2022)
• World Jr Champ Record – 1:46.40, Ivan Girev (2017)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. David Popovici (ROU) – 1:49.40
2. Batuhan Filiz (TUR) – 1:49.76
3. Vitor Sega (BRA) – 1:50.27
4. Daniel Meszaros (HUN) – 1:50.32
5. Daniil Pancerevas (LTU) – 1:50.52
6. Filippo Bertoni (ITA) – 1:50.57
7. Jakub Walter (POL) – 1:50.59
8. Nacho Campos Beas (ESP) – 1:50.96

Ivan Girev’s World Junior Championship Record survived through prelims, as World Junior Record holder David Popovici put it in cruise control, swimming a 1:49.40. There aren’t that many swimmers out there right now who can truly cruise a 1:49 200 free, but after Popovici looked more like he was taking out a 400 than swimming a 200 this morning. Popovici swam a 1:42.97 to win gold at European Championships at the beginning of the month, breaking the WJR. After swimming 47.3 and 47.0 100 freestyles yesterday leading off Romania’s 4×100 free relay, we can surely expect the 17-year-old phenom to be way faster tonight.

Turkey’s Batuhan Filiz, 18, had a great swim this morning, attempting to beat out Popovici in the last heat, but ultimately finishing 2nd in 1:49.76. Filiz was the only other swimmer in the field to break 1:50 this morning. That sets him up nicely in what will surely be a ferocious battle for silver and bronze tonight. Behind Filiz, the remaining finals qualifiers all swam 1:50-points this morning.

MIXED 4×100 MEDLEY RELAY – HEATS

• World Record – 3:37.58, Great Britain (2021)
• World Junior Record – 3:44.84, USA (2019)
• World Jr Champ Record – 3:44.84, USA (2019)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Italy – 3:58.01
2. Poland – 3:58.21
3. Hungary – 3:59.19
4. Brazil – 4:00.12
5. South Korea – 4:01.04
6. South Africa – 4:01.18
7. Japan – 4:01.37
8. Turkey – 4:02.70

Italy came out on top in prelims of the mixed 4×100 medley relay this morning, just ahead of Poland. Francesco Lazzari (57.37), Alex Sabattani (1:03.68), Paola Borrelli (1:00.33), and Veronica Quaggio (56.63) teamed up for a 3:58.01. Michal Chmielewski, who was 4th in prelims of the boys 100 fly earlier this morning, swam a 53.78 on Poland’s fly leg to help them to their 2nd place finish.

After getting DQ’d in the 100 fly prelims this morning, South Africa’s Pieter Coetze helped his team qualify for finals tonight with a 53.94 lead-off split. Coetze made waves last night in semifinals of the boys 100 back, where he broke the African Record with a 52.95.

GIRLS 800 FREESTYLE – TIMED FINALS (SLOW HEATS)

• World Record – 8:04.79, Katie Ledecky (2016)
• World Junior Record – 8:11.00, Katie Ledecky (2014)
• World Jr Champ Record – 8:22.49, Lani Pallister (2019)

Morning Heats Results:

1. Malena Santillan (ARG) – 8:52.46
2. Emma Guglielmello (PUR) – 9:00.26
3. Luiza Lima (BRA) – 9:03.85
4. Callan Lotter (RSA) – 9:06.28
5. Andrea Ximena Perez Armenta (MEX) – 9:06.88
6. Sylvia Statkevicius (LTU) – 9:06.94
7. Rafaela Coello (ECU) – 9:11.16
8. Tiffany Murillo Jinete (COL) – 9:18.92
9. Sze Ki Mok (HKG) – 9:24.06
10. Zoe Griffiths (RSA) – 9:25.48
11. Ariana Valle (ESA) – 9:25.53
12. Yuritzi Salgado Gonzalez (MEX) – 9:25.94
13. Daniela Uyaguari (ECU_ – 9:30.31
14. Valentina Raffo Ormeno (PER) – 9:41.82
15. Alejandra Denisse Gonzales Peralta (PER) – 9:47.39
16. Sabrina Condori (BOL) – 10:20.01
17. Valeria Figueroa (BOL) – 10:21.47
18. Een Abbas Shareef (MDV) – 11:41.51

14-year-old Malena Santillan had an excellent performance this morning to clock the top time of the morning heats in the girls 800 free. Santillan took a little over 2 seconds off her lifetime best of 8:54.62, touching in 8:52.46. It’s very unlikely the youngster will win a medal with that performance, however, there’s a very good chance she’ll finish in the top 8 once the fastest heat swims tonight in finals.