2021 European Short Course Championships: Day 4 Prelims Live Recap

2021 LEN EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, November 2nd – Sunday, November 7th
• Aquatics Palace, Kazan Russia
• SCM (25m)
• Entries
• Results

It’s day four of the 2021 European Short Course Championships and things are picking up in Kazan, Russia.

Swedish sprint star Sarah Sjostrom will swim the 100 fly, one of her world-record-holding events, after winning gold the 50 free final, 100 IM final, and 100 free semifinal so far in Kazan.

17-year-old David Popovici of Romania, a two-time Tokyo Olympic finalist,  will be another big name to watch. He has the 200 free on day 4, which is set up to be an interesting battle now that Hungary’s Kristof Milak has scratched. Milak is entered in no other events during prelims but is set to compete in the 200 fly final tonight. He won gold in this event at the Tokyo Olympics.

The following was reported by Annika Johnson.

Women’s 100 Backstroke

• SC Euros Record: Kira Toussaint (NED) – 55.17 (2019)
• European Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 55.03 (2014)
• World Record: Minna Atherton (AUS) – 54.89 (2019)

TOP 16

1. TOUSSAINT Kira (NED) – 56.67
2. KAMENEVA Maria  (RUS) – 56.76
3. SCALIA Silvia  (ITA) – 57.15
4. KUBOVA BAUMRTOVA Simona (CZE) –  57.55
5. PIGREE Analia  (FRA) 57.68
6. DE WAARD Maaike  (NED) – 57.82
7. PANZIERA Margherita (ITA) – 57.97
8. JALLOW Mimosa  (FIN) – 58.07
9. UPANNE Lotta (FIN) – 58.16
10. VASKINA Daria  (RUS) – 58.31
11. ROSVALL Hanna  (SWE) – 58.41
12. LOEYNING Ingeborg V.  (NOR) – 58.54
13. PEDA Paulina (POL) – 58.54
14. AVRAMOVA Ekaterina (TUR) – 58.94
15. SEGEL Janja  (SLO) – 59.37
16. GRABOWSKI Lena  (AUT) 1:00.32

The Netherlands’ Maaike De Waard was first at the 50-meter mark with a 27.66 split, closely followed by Maria Kameneva (27.67) and Simona Kubova (27.69).

But it was Kira Toussaint who barreled down the pool on the back half to first place, being the only swimmer to crack 29.00 on the final 50 with a 28.77. She came within 1.5 seconds of her lifetime best which she posted at this meet in 2019 to win gold.

There are quite a few familiar faces that are likely to repeat as 2019 and 2021 finalists in this event. Kameneva took silver in this event in 2019 and Kubova placed 5th.

Since only two swimmers per country can qualify for the semifinals and finals, Lena Grabowski‘s 1:00.32 which earned her 20th place overall still trumped the two Italian swimmers and two Russian swimmers who beat her. Italy’s Federica Toma placed the highest out of those 4, snagging 14th place with a time of 58.90.

Men’s 200 Freestyle

• SC Euros Record: Paul Biedermann (GER) – 1:39.81 (2009)
• European Record: Paul Biedermann (GER) – 1:39.37 (2009)
• World Record: Paul Biedermann (GER) – 1:39.37 (2009)

TOP 16

1. GIREV Ivan (RUS) – 1:42.77
2. PIJNENBURG Stan (NED) –  1:42.91
3. CIAMPI Matteo  (ITA) – 1:43.14
4. SHATALOV Daniil  (RUS) – 1:43.31
5. KROON Luc  (NED) – 1:43.33
6. POPOVICI David (ROU) – 1:43.43
7. DE TULLIO Marco  (ITA) – 1:43.81
8. POTHAIN Jordan  (FRA) – 1:43.85
9. GADGAARD Mikkel  (DEN) – 1:44.58
10. MAERTENS Lukas  (GER) – 1:44.72
11. CASTRO VALLE Cesar  (ESP) – 1:45.24
12. MAJERSKI Jakub (POL) – 1:45.24
13. LOKTEV Denis  (ISR) – 1:45.28
14. DOMINGUEZ CALONGE Luis (ESP) – 1:45.59
15. MARKOS Dimitrios  (GRE) – 1:45.60
16. BEN SHITRIT Eytan  (ISR) – 1:46.19

17-year-old David Popovici shaved .12 off his Romanian national record from the FINA World Cup last month.

Stan Pijnenburg came dangerously close to cracking an 18-year-old Dutch national record here. It was set at 1:41.89 by Piter van den Hoogenband at the European Championships in 2003. this was a huge time drop for Pijnenburg, taking 1.27 seconds off his previous lifetime best from October.

Russia’s Ivan Girev claimed the top spot in the semifinal, coming within .21 of his lifetime best from December 2020. It was his opening speed that made all the difference here. He split a 25.75 on the second 50 meters, half a second faster than Pijnenburg who swam half a second faster than Girev on the final 50 meters.

Notably, Russia’s Alexander Shchegolev got bumped from the semifinal after finishing 6th with a 1:43.36. Only two swimmers from each country can advance and Daniil Shatalov beat him to it by finishing within .09 of his lifetime best time.

Women’s 100 Butterfly

• SC Euros Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 55.00 (2017)
• European Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 54.61 (2014)
• World Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 54.61 (2014)

TOP 16

1. DI LIDDO Elena (ITA) –  56.91
2. CHIMROVA Svetlana (RUS) – 57.12
3. SJOESTROEM Sarah (SWE) –  57.19
4. NTOUNTOUNAKI Anna (GRE) – 57.67
5. SHKURDAI Anastasiya  (BLR) – 57.74
6. KOEHLER Angelina  (GER) – 57.91
7. GIELE Tessa  (NED) – 58.01
8. PUDAR Lana  (BIH) – 58.32
9. LAHTINEN Laura (FIN) – 58.48
10. KLEPIKOVA Daria (RUS) – 58.60
11. LILJEQVIST Ida  (SWE) – 58.65
12. BIANCHI Ilaria  (ITA) – 58.72
13. HALDEN Jenny  (NOR) – 58.90
14. BACH Helena Rosendahl  (DEN) – 59.00
15. ULLMANN Julia  (SUI) – 59.26
16. POTOCKA Tamara  (SVK) – 1:00.02

Italians Elena Di Liddo and Ilaria Bianchi swept heat one, Di Liddo finishing within one second of her lifetime best time from the 2018 FINA World Short Course Championships.

Svetlana Chimrova has also cracked 57.00 before (she posted a 56.39 in 2017), and obviously Sarah Sjostrom has demolished that mark in the past with her 54.61 world record that she has defended for the past 7 years.

Today, Sjostrom had the fastest first 50 meters by far. She split a 26.25, .40 faster than the entire field. Anastasiya Shkurdai will be one to watch out for, though. She swam her lifetime best time of 55.64 in November 2020 during the ISL and split a 30.44 on the final 50 today, half a second faster than Sjostrom.

Anna Ntountounaki had the second-fastest closing speed today with a 30.26, only .06 behind Di Liddo. Her lifetime best stands at 56.44 from this meet in 2019.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

• SC Euros Record: Marco Koch (GER) – 2:00.53 (2015)
• European Record: Kirill Prigoda (RUS) – 2:00.16 (2018)
• World Record: Kirill Prigoda (RUS) – 2:00.16 (2018)

TOP 16

1. DORINOV Mikhail (RUS) – 2:02.88
2. KAMMINGA Arno  (NED) – 2:03.98
3. ZHIGALOV Aleksandr (RUS) – 2:04.53
4. PERSSON Erik  (SWE) – 2:04.98
5. SHYMANOVICH Ilya  (BLR) – 2:05.33
6. ZABOJNIK Matej  (CZE) – 2:05.38
7. ROTHBAUER Christopher  (AUT) – 2:06.24
8. MCKEE Anton Sveinn (ISL) – 2:06.29
9. KLOBUCNIK Tomas  (SVK) – 2:06.45
10. COLL MARTI Carles  (ESP) – 2:06.67
11. KOCH Marco  (GER) – 2:06.84
12. VIQUERAT Antoine (FRA) – 2:07.11
13. QUINTAS Francisco Robalo  (POR) – 2:07.19
14. NETRH Vojtech (CZE) – 2:07.41
15. OEGRETIR Berkay Oemer  (TUR) – 2:07.44
16. SAVICKAS Aleksas (LTU) – 2:07.47

The Czech Republic’s Matej Zabojnik came in swinging, splitting a 27.92 on the first 50 meters. While Mikhail Dorinov and Antoine Viquerat teased that mark in heat one, no one else cracked it.

But it was the consistent low and mid-31’s and a final 50 split of 32.07 that clinched the win for Dorinov here.

The Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga blasted a 31.06 on the last 50 after taking the race out slower than usual. He was still 2.5 seconds off his Dutch national record from December 2020, so we can look forward to some serious speed in the semifinals and finals. Dorinov was a second off his lifetime best time from this meet in 2017.

Women’s 200 IM

• SC Euros Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:02.53 (2015)
• European Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:01.86 (2014)
• World Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 2:01.86 (2014)

TOP 16

1. UGOLKOVA Maria (SUI) – 2:09.23
2. GORBENKO Anastasiya  (ISR) – 2:09.51
3. HORSKA Kristyna (CZE) –   2:09.74
4. UGRAI Panna (HUN) – 2:09.86
5. KRIVONOGOVA Irina (RUS) – 2:10.01
6. SHVAEVA Irina  (RUS) – 2:10.13
7. GUNES Viktoria Zeynep  (TUR) – 2:10.33
8. COCCONCELLI Costanza  (ITA) – 2:10.54
9. KREUNDL Lena  (AUT) – 2:10.82
10. EBBESEN Elisabeth Sabro  (DEN) – 2:10.86
11. FRANCESCHI Sara  ITA) – 2:11.34
12. RYPESTOEL Malene  (NOR) – 2:11.40
13. VOGELMANN Zoe  (GER) – 2:11.62
14. CREVAR Anja  SRB) – 2:11.87
15. TRNIKOVA Nikoleta SVK) – 2:12.36
16. *Emma Carasco Cadens (ESP) – 2:13.16
17. *Lisa Nystrand (SWE) – 2:13.16

Swiss national record holder Maria Ugolkova took control of this race across the board out of heat three on the backstroke and breastroke. She built what turned out to be an insurmountable lead across the board even for Anastasiya Gorbenko‘s blistering 30.27 final 50 split. Gorbenko was about 4.5 seconds off her own Israeli national record from September.

Ugolkova was about 2.5 seconds off her lifetime best time from the 2019 European Championships.

There will be a swim-off following the men’s 50 fly to determine who will get the 16th spot in the semifinal.

Men’s 50 Butterfly

• SC Euros Record: Johannes Dietrich (GER) – 22.07 (2009)
• European Record: Steffen Deibler (GER) – 21.80 (2009)
• World Record: Nicholas Santos (BRA) – 21.75 (2018)

Top 16

1. SZABO Szebasztian (HUN) – 22.22
2. RIVOLTA Matteo (ITA) – 22.47
3. ZATISEV Daniel (EST) – 22.52
4. CECCON Thomas (ITA) – 22.54
5. MARKOV Daniil (RUS) – 22.59
6. PUTS Jesse (NED) – 22.60
7. GUERES Uemitcan(TUR) – 22.63
8. PEKARSKI Grigori (BLR) – 22.67
9. SHEVLYAKOV Roman (RUS) – 22.68
10. LIA Nicholas (NOR) -22.72
11. DE BOER Thom (NED) – 22.79
12. HOFF Oskar (SWE) – 23.01
13. BUCHER Simon (AUT) – 23.02
14. SEFL Jan (CZE) – 23.02
15. NICKELSEN Rasmus (DEN) – 23.03
16. PIRON Thomas (FRA) -23.03

Matteo Rivolta crushed Thomas Ceccon‘s Italian national record from January by .16. Rivolta already owns the 100 SCM fly national record, a mark he set at the 2017 World Cup. Ceccon finished in 4th today with a 22.54, also breaking his record.

Szebasztian Szabo was .44 off his Hungarian national record from November 2020 during the ISL, but he has the top spot going into the semifinal tonight by a full quarter of a second.

Daniel Zaitsev is on national record-watch too – he came within .13 of his Estonian record from 2019. He has been on a roll lately, setting the 100 fly national record on day one of this meet to win bronze.

Women’s 200 IM Swim-Off

Results

1. Emma Carrasco Cadens (ESP) – 2:12.26
2. Lisa Nystrand (SWE) – 2:14.53

15-year-old Emma Carrasco Cadens of Spain crushed her prelims time by .90 to ensure she got a lane in the 200 IM semifinal tonight. This was within .16 of her lifetime best time from November 2020.

Her fellow 15-year-old Lisa Nystrand of Sweden fell behind by 3 seconds after the breaststroke but sprinted a 31.59 on the final 50 meters compared to Carasco Cadens’ 32.32 in an attempt to close the gap. Nystrand’s lifetime best time was less than an hour old, the 2:13.16 she posted during the heats.