2016 Russian Championships: Day 5 Finals Real-Time Recaps

2016 RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS / OLYMPIC TRIALS

• April 16-23rd, 2016
• Moscow, Russia
• Prelims 09:00/Finals 18:00 Local Time
• Prelims 02:00/Finals 11:00 U.S. Eastern Time
• Live results (IN ENGLISH – including event-by-event start lists)
• Olympic selection standards

MEN’S 50 FLY- Finals (Non-Olympic)

• Russian record: 23.24, Yevgeny Korotyshkin
• Olympic standard: N/A
• Podium:
  1. Aleksandr Sadovnikov, Volgograd Region, 23.51
  2. Nikita Konovalov, Volgograd Region, 23.71
  3. Vitaly Melnikov, Moscow City, 23.91

Volgograd dominated the day in the men’s 50 backstroke, with Aleksandr Sadovnikov and Nikita Konovalov taking the top two spots. That likely qualifies them to swim the event at the European Championships in May. The two are seeded 5th and 6th, respectively, in the 100 fly that begins on Thursday.

Men’s 200 Breast – Finals

• Russian Record: Vyacheslav Sinkevich, 2:08.62 (2013)
• Russian Selection Standard: 2:10.50
• Podium:
  1. Anton Chupkov, Moscow City, 2:09.91 (Olympic Selection)
  2. Ilya Khomenko, Rostov Region, 2:10.19 (Olympic Selection)
  3. Kiril Prigoda, St. Petersburg, 2:10.57

The current Junior World Record holder Anton Chupkov didn’t match his lifetime best in the final of the men’s 200 breaststroke, but he has furthered his push into the elite of the senior international level by swimming a 2:09.91 to win the Russian National Championship and secure his spot on the 2016 Olympic Team.

This becomes the 4th sub-2:10 swim of his career, and the first time he’s done so outside of the 2015 World Championships.

This becomes the fourth event of the meet where Russia has put two swimmers under the qualifying standard, joining the men’s 100 breaststroke and men’s 100 backstroke earlier in the week. Of note, however, is that Russia will send four total breaststrokers to the World Championships – Vsevolod Zanko and Kirill Prigoda in the 100, and now Chupkov and Ilya Khomenko in the 2oo (2:10.19).

Prigoda couldn’t quite pull off the double, finishing 3rd in 2:10.57.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – Semi-Finals

• Russian record: 53.94, Veronica Popova
• Olympic standard: 54.18

The country’s National Record holder Veronika Popova leads the way into the women’s 100 free final in 54.80. While Russia didn’t show any big sparks in this race early, they showed some depth, with three swimmers under 55 seconds.

Natalia Lovtsova (54.85) and Rozaliya Nasretdinova (54.95) join Popova as the top three qualifiers into finals. Nasretdinova and 4th-place finisher Anna Apoenysheva (55.20) are both teenagers,  and neither swam on the Russian relay at Worlds last year that disappointingly made the final – but in 10th, was still high enough to earn a spot for the Olympics.

The race is still Popova’s to lose, though, as even in 2015 where she had a down year she was still able to swim a 54-low. Russia also needs Viktoria Andreeva (55.28 – 5th) to swim her way onto the Olympic relay if they have any chance at a minor medal in Rio.

Top 8 swimmers heading into finals:

1. Veronika Popova, St. Petersburg, 54.80
2. Natalia Lovtsova, Novosibirsk Region, 54.85
3. Rozaliya Nasretdinova, Moscow City, 54.95
4. Arina Openysheva, Krasnoyarsk Territory, 55.20
5. Viktoria Andreeva, Penza Region, 55.28
6. Maria Kameneva, Orenburg Region, 55.32
7. Margarita Nesterova, Belogorod Region, 55.62
8. Daria Kartashova, St. Petersburg, 55.63

MEN’S 200 BACK – Semi-Finals

• Russian record: 1:54.60, Evgeny Rylov
• Olympic standard: 1:57.71

Evgeny Rylov and Grigory Tarasevich–the 1-2 finishers from the 100 backstroke earlier in the meet–fell into the same spots coming out of the 200 backstroke semifinals.  Rylov vaulted all the way up to fourth in the world with a 1:55.43, while Tarasevich (known best in the U.S. for his All-American efforts at Louisville) touched in 1:57.63.

Women’s 200 Fly – Finals

• Russian Record: Yana Martynova, 2:09.52 (2008)
• Russian Selection Time: 2:08.00
• Podium:
  1. Svetlana Chimrova, Moscow City, 2:09.78
  2. Anastasia Guzhenkova, Samara Region, 2:13.10
  3. Ulyana Vataeva, St. Petersburg, 2:13.91

100 butterfly champion and new national record holder Svetlana Chimrova continued her excellent week with another near-record in finals of the 200 fly tonight.  The bad news: her time of 2:09.78, while less than three-tenths off the national record, missed the official Russian selection time of 2:08.00, meaning she’ll have just the 100 fly individually in Rio.

Finishing a distant second was Anastasia Guzhenkova, who finished in 2:13.10.  Ulyana Vataeva was third in 2:13.91.

Men’s 100 Free – Finals

• Russian Record: Andrey Grechin, 47.59 (2009)
• Russian Selection Time: 48.57
• Podium:
  1. Vladimir Morozov, Volgograd Region, 48.09
  2. Andrey Grechin, Altai Territory, 48.18
  3. Alexander Popkov, St. Petersburg, 48.41

In terms of competitiveness, the men’s 100 free–arguably the most anticipated event at the championships–lived up to the hype.  All four members of last year’s World Championship silver medal-winning 400 free relay finished inside the top six, with speedster Vlad Morozov leveraging a quick first 50 and holding off Andrey Grechin to win the title.

However, nobody in the field cracked the 48-second barrier, with Morozov leading the way in 48.09 and Grechin in 48.18.  Both swimmers slipped into the world top 10 for 2016, but overall, the times were a bit slower than anticipated.  Alexander Popkov jumped up to third in 48.41 and Alexander Sukhorukov was fourth in 48.55.  Surprisingly, sprinting mainstays Danila Izotov and Nikita Lobintsev finised down in 5th and 6th at 48.58 and 48.60, respectively.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – Semi-Finals

• Russian record: 2:19.41, Yulia Efimova
• Olympic standard: 2:26.08

Tomorrow’s final looks to be a battle of youth, with three under-18 swimmers finishing within 0.12 of each other in semifinals.  Top seed and favorite Maria Astashkina touched first in 2:26.31.  Daria Chikunova and Sofia Andreeva are just behind, in 2:26.37 and 2:26.43, respectively.

With the suspension of national record holder Yulia Efimova, this event may be wide open for tomorrow.    However, given Russia’s new “out of their control” clause, the three top swimmers may theoretically be battling for only one spot instead of two, leaving Astahkina as the likely champion (she recorded a then-World Junior Record 2:23.06 last year)

MEN’S 200 IM- Semi-Finals

• Russian record: 1:59.50, Semen Makovich
• Olympic standard: 1:59.56

National record holder Semen Makovich led wire-to-wire, recording the fastest butterfly and breaststroke splits in the field to finish in 2:00.80 to claim a middle lane for finals.  World Championship finalist Andrey Zhilkin was second in 2:01.73, and Sergey Kashperskiy was third in 2:02.00.

Men’s 800 Free – Timed Finals (Non-Olympic)

• Russian record: 7:46.05, Yuri Prilukov
• Olympic standard: N/A
• Podium:
  1. Evgeny Kulikov, Moscow City, 8:03.65
  2. Alexander Fedorov, St. Petersburg, 8:06.06
  3. Daniil Smirnov, Moscow City, 8:06.68

In a tight race tha thad three swimmers within a half-second at the 700 mark, Evgeny Kulikov was the one with the most closing speed, out-splitting runner-ups Alexander Fedorov and Daniil Smirnov by 2+ seconds over the final 100.

Kulikov’s final time was 8:03.65, with Federov in 8:06.06 for second and Smirnov in 8:06.68 for third.