14-Year-Old Evgenia Chikunova Hits 2:21.0 200 Breast at European Junior Champs

2019 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

14-year-old Russian phenom Evgenia Chikunova swam a massive best time in the semifinals of the women’s 200 breaststroke at the 2019 European Junior Championships in Kazan, Russia this evening. Hitting the wall in 2:21.07, Chikunova blew past her previous lifetime best of 2:22.67 set at the 2019 Russian national championships, which had stood as the Russian Junior Record.

A comparison of Chikunova’s splits reveals she is significantly faster on all but one leg of the race:

Chikunova – July 2019 Chikunova – April 2019
1st 50 32.52 33.39
2nd 50 36.12 (1:08.64) 37.00 (1:10.39)
3rd 50 36.49 (1:45.13) 36.18 (1:46.57)
4th 50 35.94 36.10
Total Time 2:21.07 2:22.67

Chikunova’s time is only 3/10ths off Team USA’s Annie Lazor‘s world-leading time of 2:20.77 set at the Bloomington stop of the 2019 PSS in May. 100 breaststroke World Record holder Lilly King is now bumped to 3rd in the world rankings with her 2:21.39, also from the Bloomington stop of the PSS. Fellow Russian and 2017 World Champion in the 200 breast Yulia Efimova now sits 4th in the world rankings with a 2:21.59 from the FINA Champions Series in Indianapolis in May.

2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 200 BREAST

YuliaRUS
EFIMOVA
07/26
2.20.17
2Annie
LAZOR
USA2.20.7705/19
3Evgenia
CHIKUNOVA
RUS2.21.0707/04
4Lilly
KING
USA2.21.3905/31
5Tatjana
SCHOENMAKER
RSA2.21.7907/25
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Yousef
5 years ago

The official result is 2:23.07 for Chiknuva according to the organizers website

Admin
Reply to  Yousef
5 years ago

Yousef – 2:23.07 is her final time; the 2:21.0 was in the semifinals yesterday.

Robert C. Maybery
5 years ago

South African, Karen Muir. August 1965. Blackpool, England. 12years and 10months old. Women’s 110yards backstroke, World Record.

straightblackline
5 years ago

Ian Thorpe was only 15 when he won gold at the 1998 World Championships and only 16 when he obliterated the world record with his 3.41.83 at the 1999 Pan Pacs. It’s one thing to set a really fast time at a relatively minor meet where there’s no real pressure and another thing to do it on the big global stage.

13 % Chinese person
5 years ago

. In 92 96 , 2000 & 2012 ,14- 15 year olds won gold . If you’ve got that unique set of ligaments then it can happen .

Nswim
5 years ago

Is she swimming this at worlds?

ERVINFORTHEWIN
5 years ago

RI DI CU LOUS for a 14 year old😝 ……what to say ? Annie , keep training ……☝️

Tupperware
5 years ago

I could do that.
I’m male, five years older, and I’d have to be doing backstroke. But I could do that.

ERVINFORTHEWIN
Reply to  Tupperware
5 years ago

lol😜

EliteSwimmer93
5 years ago

I’m sorry…am I reading this right? A 14-year-old girl just went a 2:21.07 200BR… in LCM? That might very well be the single most impressive 14&U swim of all time.

JimSwim22
Reply to  EliteSwimmer93
5 years ago

I would say u have to break a world record to be best 14yr old every. It’s been done a number of times

WV Swammer
Reply to  JimSwim22
5 years ago

Name those instances then

PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
Reply to  WV Swammer
5 years ago

Tracy Caulkins set the 200 fly WR with a 2:09.87 in 1978. In 1979 as a 14 year old Mary T Meagher went 2:07.01. That’s obviously the most impressive 14&U swim of all time.

N P
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
5 years ago

Mary T broke the 200 fly record three times when she was 14, taking it all the way from that 2:09.87 by Caulkins to 2:07.01 in the space of just over a month. Quite impressive stuff.

beachmouse
Reply to  PK Doesn't Like His Long Name
5 years ago

You can find video online of her 2:05 world record at Brown Deer when she was 16, and she would have very likely gone a 2:04 in modern kit and if her coach had known to teach her better streamlines. One of the sport’s all time great wunderkids

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  JimSwim22
5 years ago

in recent decades the only thing I can think of is Phelps and 200 fly – he was 15 or 16.

What 14 year old are you talking about?

Dee
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
5 years ago

You have to go way back to Jenny Turrall, she was 13.

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
Reply to  EliteSwimmer93
5 years ago

it is nuts. The American NAG is 2:25, a legendary swim by Amanda Beard four seconds slower than this swim!!

N P
Reply to  SAMUEL HUNTINGTON
5 years ago

But that was also 23 years ago. It’s hard to just compare times.

About Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson

Reid Carlson originally hails from Clay Center, Kansas, where he began swimming at age six with the Clay Center Tiger Sharks, a summer league team. At age 14 he began swimming club year-round with the Manhattan Marlins (Manhattan, KS), which took some convincing from his mother as he was very …

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