2022 World Junior Championships: Day 6 Finals Live Recap

2022 FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

We’ve reached the last session of the 2022 World Junior Championships. This is the last major international meet of the summer, marking the end to an absolute marathon of a season.

It’s a busy session, kicking off with the boys’ 100 freestyle, where world record holder David Popovici will be back in action. The 17-year-old has already broken the championship record twice, finally lowering it to 47.07. Will he reset the record for a third time in the final?

Italy’s Giulia Vetrano and Hungary’s Nikolett Padar tied for the top seed in the girls’ 200 freestyle prelims, both posting 2:02.00. Padar has already won the 100 freestyle at this meet, and has been on a tear all summer. With half the finalists cracking 26 seconds, the girls’ 50 freestyle should also feature a good battle for the podium.

In the boys’ 200 butterfly, we could see siblings take the top two spots, as the Chmielewski twins, Michel and Krysztof, are the top two seeds heading into the final. Also, in the boys’ 200 backstroke, Ksawery Masiuk and Pieter Coetze will go head-to-head for the third time this week. Masiuk has won both the 50 and 100 backstroke already, and needs the win here to repeat his backstroke sweep from European Juniors. Standing in the way will be Coetze and Hidekazu Takeharawho posted 1:59.07 in prelims to snag lane 4. Poland has been having an excellent meet, and look primed to continue performing well tonight.

Click here for a full preview of tonight’s session. 

As they’ve been doing all week, FINA is live streaming each session of the meet, which you can watch below.

Boys’ 100 Freestyle – Finals

PODIUM:

  1. David Popovici (ROU), 47.13
  2. Jere Hribar (CRO), 49.37
  3. Nikolas Antoniou (CYP), 49.91

To no one’s surprise, David Popovici took the win in the boys’ 100 freestyle. His time of 47.13 is just off the championship record of 47.07 he swam earlier in the meet leading off Romania’s boys’ 4×100 freestyle relay. It also ties his semifinal performance from Worlds, which was a world junior record when he swam it in Budapest. Popovici now owns nine of the ten fastest performances in the 100 freestyle this year. The only swimmer on the list besides him now is Kyle Chalmers with his 47.36 from Commonwealth Games. This season, Popovici is also now the world champion, world junior champion, European champion, and European junior champion in two events, the 100 and 200 freestyle.

Rounding out the podium was Jere Hribar and Nikolas AntoniouBoth got under the 50 second mark, improving on their semifinals swims. Antoniou set the Cypriot national record at 49.67 at Worlds earlier this summer.

Girls’ 200 Breaststroke – Finals

  • World Record — 2:18.95, Tatjana Schoenmaker (2021)
  • World Junior Record — 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (2015)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 2:19.64, Viktoria Gunes (2015)

PODIUM:

  1. Emma Carasco Caddens (ESP), 2:26.93
  2. Yumeno Kusuda (JPN), 2:29.62
  3. Defne Coskun (TUR), 2:29.85

Emma Carasco Caddens dominated the girls’ 200 breaststroke, taking the win by over 2.5 seconds ahead of Yumeno Kusuda. Carasco took the race out in 1:11.11, touching the wall at the 200 in 2:26.93. It’s a huge personal best for the Spanish teenager, who set her previous mark of 2:27.69 earlier this summer at European Juniors.

Kusuda was off the 2:28.10 she swam at Junior Pan Pacs, but still held on to earn the silver medal ahead of Turkey’s Defne Coskun.

Boys’ 200 Backstroke – Finals

  • World Record — 1:51.92, Aaron Peirsol (2009)
  • World Junior Record — 1:55.14, Kliment Kolesnikov (2017)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 1:56.69, Hugo Gonzalez (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Pieter Coetze (RSA), 1:56.05 CR
  2. Hidekazu Takehara (JPN), 1:58.22
  3. Ksawery Masiuk (POL), 1:58.55

After setting championship records in the semifinals of both the 50 and 100 backstroke then placing second in the final, Pieter Coetze finally got his world junior title in the 200 backstroke. He did it in championship record style, roaring to a 1:56.05 to break Hugo Gonzalez‘s record from 2017.

It was a back and forth race through the first 100 meters, with Coetze taking it out first at the 50 then surrendering the lead to Hidekazu Takehara at the halfway point. However, Coetze began to separate himself on the third 50, then completely distanced himself, splitting 28.33 on the final 50.

Masiuk challenged Takehara on the last lap, splitting 29.79 to Takehara’s 30.07, but was ultimately unable to close the gap and earned the bronze medal.

Girls’ 100 Butterfly – Finals

  • World Record — 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (2016)
  • World Junior Record — 56.43, Claire Curzan (2021)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 57.25, Rikako Ikee (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Mizuki Hirai (JPN), 59.53
  2. Beatriz Bezerra (BRA), 59.69
  3. Hajung Yang (KOR), 1:00.10

After a semifinal that saw none of the athletes break a minute, the final of the girls’ 100 butterfly was faster, with two girls under the mark. It was a close race for all the spots on the podium, with Mizuki Hirai edging out Beatriz Bezerra for the top spot. She swam 59.53, faster than she was at Junior Pan Pacs and just off her lifetime best 59.31 she set at Japan’s national championships in May. This is Japan’s sixth gold medal of the meet.

Behind the battle for gold, Hajung Yang grabbed the bronze medal from lane 1. Yang was fourth at the turn, but came back in 81, the fastest split in the field, to pass Paola Borrelli and earn the final spot on the podium.

Boys’ 1500 Freestyle – Fastest Heat

  • World Record — 14:31.02, Sun Yang (2012)
  • World Junior Record — 14:46.09, Franko Grgic (2019)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 14:46.09, Franko Grgic (2019)

PODIUM:

  1. Carlos Garach Benito (ESP), 15:08.14
  2. Laszlo Galicz (HUN), 15:12.71
  3. Vlad Stefan Stancu (ROU), 15:17.97

It was a close three-person race in the early part of the boys’ 1500 freestyle, with Carlos Garach BenitoLaszlo Galicz, and Vlad Stefan Stancu separating themselves from the rest of the field. Galicz led for the first part of the race, but Garach Benito closed the gap, taking the lead at the 800m mark. Then, Galicz and Stancu continued to trade second-place, but eventually, Galicz distanced himself from Stancu. Garach Benito was quite consistent, splitting 30 lows for the majority of his race. He extended his lead over the second half of the race, ultimately winning gold by over 4.5 seconds.

Notably, Riku Yamaguchi, who posted the fastest time out of the early heats in 15:29.54, ended up finishing fifth, behind 400 world junior champion Stephan Steverink.

Girls’ 50 Freestyle – Finals

  • World Record — 23.67, Sarah Sjostrom (2017)
  • World Junior Record — 24.17, Claire Curzan (2021)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 24.59, Rikako Ikee (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Bianca Costea (ROU), 25.35
  2. Sara Curtis (ITA), 25.53
  3. Matilde Biagiotti (ITA), 25.60

We shift gears here, from the longest race to the shortest one. Bianca Costea gave Romania its second gold medal of the night, winning the girls’ 50 freestyle in 25.35. That’s just .01 seconds off her lifetime best 25.34, which she’s swum twice–once in 2019 and then again earlier this year at European Juniors. It also looks to be the first gold medal won by a Romanian girl at a FINA world junior championship.

Italy took the silver and bronze medals, with Sara Curtis touching second in 25.53 and Matilde Biagiotti third in 25.60. Biagiotti topped the semifinals in 25.36, but was unable to match that time here in the final.

Boys’ 200 Butterfly – Finals

  • World Record — 1:50.34, Kristof Milak (2022)
  • World Junior Record — 1:53.79, Kristof Milak (2017)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 1:53.87, Kristof Milak (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL), 1:55.78
  2. Michal Chmielewski (POL), 1:57.69
  3. Ei Kamikawabata (JPN), 1:58.37

The Chmielewski twins repeated their 1-2 finish from European Juniors, claiming the top two spots here in Lima in the same order they finished in Romania. Krzysztof took the race out conservatively in the morning, but took the race to the field from the start in the final. He led from wire-to-wire, taking the race out in 55.19 and coming back in 1:00.59 to touch in 1:55.78. That’s within a second of the lifetime best 1:55.01 he set at Worlds earlier this year.

Michel was just under two seconds back in 1:57.69, gaining time back on Ei Kamikawabata, who made a push on the third 50, splitting 30.13 and moving from fifth to third.

Boys’ 50 Breaststroke – Finals

  • World Record — 25.95, Adam Peaty (2017)
  • World Junior Record — 26.97, Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 27.02, Nicolo Martinenghi (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Uros Zivanovic (SRB), 27.70
  2. Alex Sabattani (ITA), 28.21
  3. Luka Mladenovic (AUT), 28.32

After taking bronze at European Juniors, Uros Zivanovic traded up for gold here in Lima. He won by just over half a second, clocking 27.70 and was the only swimmer under 28 seconds. 27.70 is also just off the lifetime best 27.64 that he set en route to bronze at European Juniors. Earlier in the meet, Zivanovic earned silver in the 100 breaststroke behind Luka Mladenovic, who won bronze tonight in the 50. Sandwiched between them was Italy’s Alex Sabattani, who took silver in 28.21.

Girls’ 200 Freestyle – Finals

  • World Record — 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (2009)
  • World Junior Record — 1:54.79, Summer McIntosh (2022)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 1:57.08, Taylor Ruck (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Nikolett Padar (HUN), 1:58.19
  2. Lilla Abraham (HUN), 1:58.23
  3. Giulia Vetrano (ITA), 1:59.54

We got the closest race of the session so far, as it came down to the touch in the girls’ 200 freestyle. Nikolett Padar, Lilla Abrahamand Giulia Vetrano were all together at the final turn and had traded the lead throughout the race. Coming off the wall though, the two Hungarians quickly separated themselves from Vetrano and it was a two person race down the stretch. At the touch, it was Padar who got her hand on the wall first, winning her second individual gold medal of the meet. She was also the 100 and 200 freestyle champion at European Juniors.

For Abraham, her 1:58.23 is a best by over a second, dropping from the 1:59.42 she swam at European Juniors. Though Vetrano couldn’t keep pace with the Hungarian duo, she easily won the bronze medal as the only other swimmer under the two minute mark. Turkish distance ace Merve Tuncel took fourth in 2:00.61.

Boys’ 4×100 Medley Relay – Finals

  • World Record — 3:26.78, USA (2021)
  • World Junior Record — 3:33.19, Russia (2019)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 3:33.19, Russia (2019)

PODIUM:

  1. Poland, 3:40.17
  2. South Africa, 3:42.95
  3. France, 3:43.68

Masiuk started Poland off with a 53.46 backstroke leg, giving them the lead. They held onto that lead through the whole race, extending it to win gold by 2.78 seconds ahead of South Africa.

Down in lane 8, South Africa was running second for much of the race, though they were third with 100 meters to go, thanks to a 53.21 butterfly split from Japan’s Tomoyuki Matsushita. Then, it came down to a battle on the freestyle leg between South Africa, Hungary, Japan, and France for the silver and bronze medals behind Poland. South Africa earned the silver medal in 3:42.95.

Hungary touched the wall in third, but were disqualified. Thus, the bronze medal goes to France, who swam a 3:43.68. Notably, this is the second time this meet that a Hungarian relay has been disqualified where they otherwise would have won a medal.

Girls’ 4×100 Medley Relay – Finals

  • World Record — 3:50.40, USA (2019)
  • World Junior Record — 3:58.38, Canada (2017)
  • World Jr Champ Record — 3:58.38, Canada (2017)

PODIUM:

  1. Japan, 4:06.44
  2. Italy, 4:06.91
  3. Poland, 4:08.22

Yuzuki Mizuno got Japan off to a great start, leading off in 1:01.24, which would have won gold in the individual 100 backstroke. It was a close race between Japan, Poland, and Italy on the breaststroke leg; however, 100 butterfly champion Mizuki Hirai split 59.15, putting Japan solidly in the lead with only the freestyle leg to go. Italy’s Matilde Biagiotti made a push in the closing meters, but it was all Japan, who close out a wildly successful World Juniors with a gold medal.

Padar split 55.13 as Hungary’s anchor, but the gap to the three leaders was too big for her to close, and Poland won bronze in 4:08.22.

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John26
1 year ago

Anyone else notice that in the race video fina uses Cielo’s WR pace instead dog Popovici’s? The red line seems way fast in the first 50 and Popovici appears to visibly be catching it near the end

Jamesabc
Reply to  John26
1 year ago

The WR line on TV doesn’t actually match the pace of the record. It just distributes the time out evenly. That’s why it always looks like a bunch of the swimmers are out ahead of the WR at halfway and the line catches up to them.

John26
Reply to  Jamesabc
1 year ago

That’s not the case here: watch the red line
https://youtu.be/Qg6i441M4Tg

Michael Andrew Wilson
1 year ago

Agreed, this is just amazing. Biondi had the top 4 100fr times of 1988 and he OWNED that event. Surely Phelps / Milak / Thorpe / Dressel have posted several of the top times in a year, but I can’t imagine they’ve done 9 of 10.

Michael Andrew Wilson
Reply to  Michael Andrew Wilson
1 year ago

Ledecky is probably the closest compiling PSS swims with trials and Olympics or WCs?

Yuri
1 year ago

A time like 47 low could be seen only once every 4 year, then maybe once every 2 years, then Caeleb came and it was one or twice a year.

But now thanks to DP a time of the magnitude of Magnussen’s 47.10 (swam once in his lifetime), which made us all scream, can be enjoyed MANY TIMES IN THE SAME YEAR. And then Biedermann’s 200 free record will be beaten. As Magnussen once said after that 47.10 : BRACE YOURSELF.

From the bottom of my heart, for the emotions you are giving us, THANK YOU DAVID POPOVICI.

Hank
1 year ago

Why were fans throwing things? That seems like inappropriate conduct for a World level meet.

NathenDrake
1 year ago

THANK YOU HUNGARIAN LOOSER GUYS!@@

Troyy
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

Calm down

NathenDrake
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

NOPE!!!

But Komoroczy was terrible here, every swum by her which wasnt 50 back was brutally slow and looked terrible.

Molnár was sluggish here as well.

They were FOUR SECONDS FASTER 2 MONTH AGO in Romania.

NathenDrake
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

Give me dislike, come on men and women!!

The truth hearts a lot I know.

No major team has a dsq, HUNGARY TWO.

They simply dont train it, I know it from person.
Even the president of the hungarian swimming fed. didnt gave a f.ck about it 3 years ago. When 20 of the 22 nations had a better relay for exchange times.

Not much changed ever since.

For example Poland always had pretty good times.

Brownish
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

As a Hungarian you should shut up. We are 2nd on the medal table only with one less silver, what are you speaking about. That’s there were mistakes? Yes, for sure. And? This is life. You never mada a mistake? You and they can learn from it.

Last edited 1 year ago by Brownish
Teal
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

Bro you swim at a meet like this and post a fast time who tf are you to get genuinely mad at children for not swimming up to their best. You go a sub 1:50 LCM 200 free ? What about like a :27 LCM 50 back ?? Like shut up and enjoy the races; rage about the commutators but not the performance of the athlete to such an extent

Kim
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

You do know, that for many of the Hungarians it is the FOURTH meet of the summer – try and stay in peek form four times in 10 weeks, good luck 🙂

NathenDrake
Reply to  Troyy
1 year ago

I dont know in which timezone do you live, but its really frustrating to watch a dsq in the middle of the night in Europe.

Last edited 1 year ago by NathenDrake
Swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

You should fix your spelling and grammar before going on a rant

Brownish
Reply to  Swimmerfromjapananduk
1 year ago

I think we don’t need an English teacher here. If we knew what everybody wrote about it’s good for us because we can have an answer.
English grammer and spelling? What are you speaking about? Throughway or thruway e.g? How many times there’s a mistake after “if” ?

Last edited 1 year ago by Brownish
Yozhik
Reply to  Brownish
1 year ago

Bravo!
We are sitting in Orly Airport waiting for our flight. My 5 yo grandson playing with French girl of about same age. He can communicate with his grands, parents and preschool friends in three different languages (not knowing about that). This little girl knows none of them and is talking none-stop in French. They have no problem and looks like perfectly understand each other, definitely enjoying communication.
If people want to understand each other they do it regardless language they speak. If they don’t, it doesn’t matter how good your grammar is.

Brownish
Reply to  Yozhik
1 year ago

Love you here. As I said we could be friends (except about Katinka and/or KL) and you said yes. Nobody kwnows what does it mean that your native is not the same where you lives. Try that in Russion or Hungarian. Easy.

Philip Johnson
1 year ago

The sad thing is, because DP is so good, most of us aren’t going to be impressed anymore w/ 47 low swims by him. Pretty much 46 or bust for Swim Swam to blow up.

Troyy
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Not only him. He already made awesome swims by juniors less exciting and the same will happen with the seniors.

Obese Legend
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Ledecky in distance free and Sjostrom in 50 fly are still faster than everyone else in history this year, but people are not so impressed anymore. Same thing happens with Peaty and Milak. That’s the sad side of being too good.

Mr Piano
Reply to  Philip Johnson
1 year ago

Yeah like everyone freaked out when Dressel did it in 2017 or McEvoy in 2016. Then this kid comes along and it’s like, oh, he went 47.1 for the 6th time this season, move along lol

NathenDrake
1 year ago

HUNGARIAN MEDLEY LOOSERS FOR MEN. THATS THEIR SECOND DSQ WITH A BIZARRE -0,12 TAKEOVER. JUST NONSENSE.

And Japan will finish first thanks to the more silver medals, if they win the women relay…

Last edited 1 year ago by NathenDrake
Swimmerfromjapananduk
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

Good. Long live japan

Kim
Reply to  NathenDrake
1 year ago

So Gyurta was also a looser in 2017 when he got DQ in the medley relay – come on.

Brownish
Reply to  Kim
1 year ago

No Gyurta but the relay. And this was his 2nd one. So?

NathenDrake
1 year ago

And HUNGARY 1-2 IN 200 FREE. Pádár wasnt out on full speed. Minna with great turns and a new PB with 1,1 seconds.

AND 5TH GOLD FOR PÁDÁR IN PERU!!!

About Sophie Kaufman

Sophie Kaufman

Sophie grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, which means yes, she does root for the Bruins, but try not to hold that against her. At 9, she joined her local club team because her best friend convinced her it would be fun. Shoulder surgery ended her competitive swimming days long ago, …

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