2022 World Junior Championships: Day 4 Finals Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 30-September 4, 2022
• Lima, Peru
• Long Course Meters (50m), Prelims/Semis/Finals
• 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 3 Finals Live Recap
• FINA YouTube Link (USA, Canada)
• How to Watch

Several championship records are under serious threat of being taken down during the fourth finals session of the World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru.

South Africa’s Pieter Coetze scratched the boys 50 butterfly semifinals to focus on the 50 back finals, where he’s set for another showdown with Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk. Coetze broke the meet record in Thursday’s semifinals, but Masiuk could very well reset it tonight and steal the gold medal just as he did in Wednesday’s 100 back final. Coetze’s new World Junior Champs record of 24.58 is just .24 seconds off the African mark of 24.34, which is a “supersuited” record from the 2009 World Championships.

In the boys 50 fly semifinals, Portugal’s Diogo Ribeiro will be chasing his own World Junior Champs record of 23.12 that he posted in this morning’s prelims. He shaved a tenth of a second off the previous record held by versatile American sprint specialist Michael Andrew.

How much gas does Japan’s Mio Narita have left in the tank for the girls 200 IM final? The 400 IM champion from Japan went 2:11.03 to win the 200 IM at last week’s Junior Pan Pacs, just .19 shy of the World Junior Champs record, so we’ll be on record watch even though she’s had a busy past couple weeks.

Turkey’s Merve Tuncel is the heavy favorite in the girls 400 free final, but she’d need to drop nine seconds off her prelims time to lower the meet record of 4:05.42 held by Australian Lani Pallister.

Check out the full session preview here. 

FINA is live streaming each session on their YouTube page. Below is the stream for tonight’s session.

GIRLS 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINALS

• World Record — 26.98, Xiang Liu (2018)
• World Junior Record — 27.49, Minna Atherton (2016)
• World Jr Champ Record — 27.81, Gabi Fa’Amausili (2015)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Lora Fanni Komoroczy (HUN) – 28.48
2. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 29.06
3. Aimi Nagaoka (JPN) – 29.14
4. Rebecca-Aimee Diaconescu (ROU) – 29.24
5. Chiaki Yamamoto (JPN) – 29.31
6. Laura Bernat (POL) – 29.43
7. Milla Drakopoulos (RSA) – 29.45
8. Yi-En Wu (TPE) – 29.59

Hungary’s Lora Fanni Komoroczy was half a second faster than the field, the only swimmer under 29 in the semifinals. She was just .17 seconds off her personal best from last month that earned her a silver medal at Euro Juniors.

Italy’s Sara Curtis won the first heat in 29.06, just a few tenths of a second shy of her personal-best 28.79 from Euro Juniors last month. Aimi Nagaoka will be one of two Japanese swimmers in tomorrow’s final along with fifth-seeded Chiaki Yamamoto.

BOYS 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record — 2:05.95, Zac Stubblety-Cook (2022)
• World Junior Record — 2:09.39, Haiyang Qin (2017)
• World Jr Champ Record — 2:09.40, Josh Matheny (2019)

Top 3:

1. Asahi Kawashima (JPN) – 2:12.61
2. Luka Mladenovic (AUT) – 2:12.94
3. Sai Ting Adam Mak (HKG) – 2:13.90

Japan’s Asahi Kawashima held a slim lead over Luka Mladenovic at the final turn before blazing a clutch last 50 to out-touch the Austrian in 2:12.61.

Mladenovic couldn’t quite pull off the comeback as he did in Wednesday’s 100 breast final, reaching the wall .33 seconds behind Kawashima for his second medal of the week. Kawashima was less than a second slower than his winning time from last week’s Junior Pan Pacs, showing impressive stamina during a busy stretch of international swimming.

Hong Kong 16-year-old Sai Ting Adam Mak rounded out the podium with a 2:13.90, earning redemption after he barely missed the podium in the 100 breast final.

GIRLS 50 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• World Record — 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (2014)
• World Junior Record — 25.46, Rikako Ikee (2017)
• World Jr Champ Record — 25.46, Rikako Ikee (2017)

Top 3:

1. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 26.38
2. Beatriz Bezerra (BRA) – 26.67
3. Lillian Slusna (SVK) – 27.04

Croatia’s Jana Pavalic lowered her own national record to 26.38 and clinched the world junior title over Brazil’s Beatriz Bezerra at just 15 years old. Pavalic’s previous best time was a 26.50 from last month’s Euro Juniors.

Bezerra also posted a personal best, dropping .06 seconds off her previous mark from yesterday. The Brazilian national record stands at 25.85 held by Daynara de Paula from the 2009 World Championships, but the 16-year-old Bezerra has plenty of time to close in on that standard.

Slovakia’s Lillian Slusna edged Japan’s Mizuki Hirai by just .05 seconds for the final spot on the podium.

BOYS 50 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• World Record — 23.71, Hunter Armstrong (2022)
• World Junior Record — 24.00, Kliment Kolesnikov (2018)
• World Jr Champ Record — 24.58, Pieter Coetze (2022)

Top 3:

1. Ksawery Masiuk (POL) – 24.44 CR
2. Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 24.61
3. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 25.18

In a repeat of the boys 100 back final earlier this week, Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk took down a day-old Championship Record held by Pieter Coetze to steal gold from the South African standout in 24.44. Masiuk, the bronze medalist in the event at the World Championships in June, shaved .04 seconds off his previous best time while breaking his own Polish record in the process.

“I’m so very excited and happy,” said Masiuk, who’s now tied for eighth in the world rankings this year. “I wasn’t expecting to beat my PB.”

The medal marked Poland’s seventh overall and fourth gold so far.

Miroslav Knedla rounded out the podium with a 25.18 for the Czech Republic, .06 seconds slower than his personal best.

GIRLS 100 BREASTSTROKE  – FINALS

• World Record — 1:04.13, Lilly King (2017)
• World Junior Record — 1:04.35, Ruta Meilutyte (2013)
• World Jr Champ Record — 1:06.61, Ruta Meilutyte (2013)

Top 3:

1. Karolina Piechowicz (POL) – 1:08.73
2. Irene Mati (ITA) – 1:08.94
3. Martina Bukvic (SRB) – 1:09.27

Karolina Piechowicz made it two gold medals in a row for Poland with her victory in the girls 100 breast final. It was her second win of the week after triumphing in the 50 breast on Wednesday.

“It feels great,” Piechowicz said after the race. “I’m a double champion. I couldn’t be happier… Poland is the best team.

Piechowicz had the top entry time in the field but appeared vulnerable when she qualified third in the semifinals.

Poland now boasts five gold medals this week, most of any country at the meet. Italy’s Irene Mati (1:08.94) and Serbia’s Martina Bukvic (1:09.27) also achieved places on the podium. No other swimmer in the final clocked a sub-1:10 time.

BOYS 50 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINALS

• World Record — 22.27, Andrii Govorov (2018)
• World Junior Record — 23.05, Andrei Minakov (2020)
• World Jr Champ Record — 23.12, Diogo Ribeiro (2022)

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Daniel Gracik (CZE) – 23.53
2. Casper Puggaard (DEN) – 23.87
3. Diogo Matos Ribeiro (POR) – 23.94
4. Emil Jose Perez Avila (VEN) – 24.15
5. Elia Codardini (ITA) – 24.27
6. Michal Chmielewski (POL) – 24.37
7. Felipe Baffico (CHI) – 24.46
8. Tobias Kern (CZE) – 24.49

Czech Republic’s Daniel Gracik cruised to a victory in the first heat with a time of 23.53, a few tenths faster than any swimmer in the second heat. Denmark’s Casper Puggaard took the second qualifying spot with a 23.87.

Portugal’s Diogo Matos Ribeiro reached the wall in 23.94, almost a second off his meet record from this morning. He seemed to be conserving some energy ahead of his boys 50 free final just about 15 minutes later. He has a chance to challenge the world junior record of 23.05 set two years ago by Russia’s Andrei Minakov in tomorrow’s final if he’s fresh enough.

GIRLS 400 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record — 3:56.40, Ariarne Titmus (2022)
• World Junior Record — 3:58.37, Katie Ledecky (2014)
• World Jr Champ Record — 4:05.42, Lani Pallister (2019)

Top 3:

1. Merve Tuncel (TUR) – 4:10.29
2. Ruka Takezawa (JPN) – 4:11.83
3. Giulia Vetrano (ITA) – 4:11.86

Turkish 800 free champ Merve Tuncel only seemed to get stronger as the girls 400 final went on, winning her second gold medal of the week by more than a second a half with a time of 4:10.29. It was about four seconds slower than her personal best from Euro Juniors, but it’s been a long season.

“This is my second medal in this championship,” said Tuncel, who’s seeking two more individual medals later this week in the 1500 free and 200 free for a potential total of four at the meet. “I’m very happy to get this result. This season is a bit longer than other seasons and everyone is so tired. I tried to do my best.”

Tuncel split even 31s across the entire race. The gold marked Turkey’s third of the week and sixth medal overall.

Japan’s Ruka Takezawa pulled out a clutch 31.17 split on the final lap to out-touch Italy’s Giulia Vetrano (4:11.86) for silver by just .03 seconds. Takezawa’s time of 4:11.83 was more than a second slower than her personal-best 4:10.56 from last year while Vetrano was less than a tenth of a second slower than her personal-best 4:11.77 from Euro Juniors last month.

BOYS 50 FREESTYLE – FINALS

• World Record — 20.91, Cesar Cielo (2009)
• World Junior Record — 21.75, Michael Andrew (2017)
• World Jr Champ Record — 21.75, Michael Andrew (2017)

Top 3:

1. Diogo Matos Ribeiro (POR) – 21.92
2. Nikolas Antoniou (CYP) – 22.51
3. Jere Hribar (CRO) – 22.55

Another day, another double for Portugal’s Diogo Matos Ribeiro. Despite competing in the 50 fly just two events prior, the 17-year-old still ripped a new personal best, getting under 22 seconds for the first time with a 21.92 that ranks 25th in the world this year. His previous best was a 22.07 from Euro Juniors last month.

“Unbelievable,” Ribeiro said. “Amazing. I didn’t expect 21.”

It was Ribeiro’s second gold of the week after topping the podium in the 100 fly last night. He’ll go for this third gold medal in tomorrow’s 50 fly final.

Nikolas Antoniou took two-tenths of a second off his Cyprus national record of 22.71 set in yesterday’s semifinals. He needed every bit of his time drop, too, as he edged Croatia’s Jere Hribar by just .04 seconds for the silver medal.

GIRLS 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLAY – FINALS

• World Record — 2:06.12, Katinka Hosszu (2015)
• World Junior Record — 2:08.70, Summer McIntosh (2022)
• World Jr Champ Record — 2:11.03, Viktoria Gunes (2015)

Top 3:

1. Mio Narita (JPN) – 2:11.68
2. Lilla Minna Abraham (HUN) – 2:13.45
3. Emma Carrasco Cadens (ESP) – 2:13.74

Japan’s Mio Narita pulled away from the field on the back half during the breaststroke and freestyle legs as this week’s 400 IM champion doubled up with her second world junior title in 2:11.68.

She was just about half a second slower than the Championship Record of 2:11.03 set by Viktoria Gunes back in 2015 and slightly slower than her 2:11.22 that won the event at Junior Pan Pacs last week. Narita split 28.89 on the opening butterfly leg, 34.52 on her backstroke, 37.03 on her breaststroke, and 31.24 on her freestyle anchor.

The win gave Japan its fourth gold of the week and 10th medal overall.

Hungary’s Lilla Minna Abraham and Spain’s Emma Carrasco Cadens battled it out for silver, with Abraham touching the wall just .29 seconds ahead of Cadens.

BOYS 4×200 FREE RELAY – FINALS

• World Record — 6:58.55, USA (2009)
• World Junior Record — 7:08.37, USA (2019)
• World Jr Champ Record — 7:08.37, USA (2019)

Top 3:

1. Italy – 7:17.08
2. Hungary – 7:17.55
3. Poland – 7:19.93

The Italian team of Alessandro Ragaini (1:49.05), Simone Spediacci (1:49.59), Massimo Chiarioni (1:49.90), and Filippo Bertoni (1:48.54) combined to bring home another 4×200 relay gold. It was a little tougher this time compared to World Juniors, when they had Lorenzo Galossi anchoring, but Bertoni came up clutch to seal the victory with the only sub-1:49 split on the squad.

Hungary’s Daniel Meszaros blazed a 1:48.01 on the anchor leg to keep his team within striking distance down the stretch. Poland edged Brazil by two-tenths of second for the final spot on the podium. Backstroke ace Ksawery Masiuk led off with an impressive flat-start 1:48.93 for Poland. Hungary’s Benedek Bona was the only other swimmer in the race with a sub-1:49 split.