2021 European Short Course Championships: Day 1 Finals Live Recap

2021 LEN EUROPEAN SHORT COURE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, November 2nd – Sunday November 7th
• Aquatics Palace, Kazan Russia
• SCM (25m)
• Day 1 Prelim Recap 
• Live results

The stars will be out on night one in Kazan at the European Short Course Championships, including Olympic Medalists Florian Wellbrock (400 free), Sarah Sjostrom (50 free), Kristof Milak (50 back, 100 fly) and Simona Quadarella (800 free). Finals start at 6:30 PM local time in Kazan (11:30 AM EST).

The event lineup for tonight’s finals session will include finals for the women’s 400 IM, men’s 400 free, women’s 800 free and the men’s and women’s 4×50 free relay. Turkey’s Viktoria Gunes and Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakabos tied for the top seed in the women’s 400 IM this morning in 4:34.76, while Sarah Sjostrom leads the women’s 50 free after posting a quick 23.32 in the prelims, which was just .02 off her own meet record from 2017.

Russian backstroke star Kliment Kolesnikov will be the top seed in the men’s 50 back after touching first this morning in 22.85. The Italian women dominated the prelims of the 100 breast, taking the top three spots behind top seed Arianna Castiglioni, who touched first in 1:04.40. Russian Aleksandr Shchegolev took the top seed in the 100 fly with a 50.05, but Olympic silver medalist Kristof Milak is lurking after finishing 4th in the prelims.

WOMEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 4:19.46 (2015)
• European Record: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 4:18.94 (2017)
• World Record: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 4:18.94 (2017)

Top 3 finishers

• Gold: Viktoria Gunes (TUR): 4:30.45
• Silver (Tie) : Anja Crevar (SRB)/Sara Franceschi (ITA): 4:30.47

The first finals session started off with a bang, with a thrilling three-way race for the 400 IM title. Turkish swimmer Viktoria Gunes held off the hard charging Anja Crevar of Serbia and Sara Franceschi of Italy to take the gold in 3:30.45, a new Turkish record. Crevar and Franceschi tied for the silver just .02 back in 4:30.47, which marked a new Serbian record for Crevar.

Gunes held the lead after the fly, but Crevar used a strong backstroke leg to take the lead at the halfway point of the race. Gunes took the lead back during the breaststroke leg, while Franceschi had the fastest freestyle split of the trio to nearly take the victory.

Gunes’ swim chops over two seconds off of her lifetime best from last week’s World Cup stop, while Crevar dropped over three seconds from her best time at the 2019 SC Euros in Glasgow. Franceschi had the biggest drop of the group, finishing almost 5 seconds clear of her lifetime best from March of this year.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 3:33.20 (2019)
• European Record: Yannick Agnel (FRA) – 3:32.25 (2012)
• World Record: Yannick Agnel (FRA) – 3:32.25 (2012)

Top 3 finishers:

• Gold: Luc Kroon (NED): 3:38.33
• Silver: Matteo Ciampi (ITA): 3:38.58
• Bronze: Marco De Tullio (ITA): 3:38.80

The men’s 400 free followed up the women’s 400 IM with another close race, with Dutchman Luc Croon taking the gold in a new Dutch record in 3:38.33. Following closely behind was a pair of Italians, with Matteo Ciampi taking the silver in 3:38.58 and Marco De Tullio taking home the bronze in 3:38.80. Notably absent from the final was German Florian Wellbrock who finished 4th in the prelims.

Kroon used a blistering final 100 of 53.36 to take home the crown, notably negative splitting the race 1:49.33/1:48.99. All three swims represented major time drops for Kroon, Ciampi and De Tullio.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE SEMI-FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 23.30 (2017)
• European Record: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 22.93 (2017)
• World Record: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 22.93 (2017)

Top 8 finishers:

• 1st: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE): 23.37
• 2nd: Kasia Wasick (POL): 23.42
• 3rd: Maria Kameneva (RUS): 23.79
• 4th: Arina Surkova (RUS): 23.96
• 5th: Silvia Di Pietro (ITA): 23.99
• 6th: Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN): 24.08
• 7th: Kim Busch (NED): 24.22
• 8th: Maaike De Waard (NED): 24.32

Sarah Sjostrom took the top time after the semi-finals in the 50 free, adding .05 from her prelim swim and again being just off her meet record of 23.30 from 2017. Kasia Wasick dominated the first semi-final to take the 2nd overall seed heading into tomorrow’s final in 23.42.  It will be a tight battle for the bronze tomorrow evening, with three other swimmers finished under 24 seconds. Russians Maria Kameneva and Arina Surkova finished 3rd and 4th in 23.79 and 23.96, respectively, while Italian Silvia Di Pietro finished fifth in 23.99.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE SEMI-FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 22.64 (2019)
• European Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 22.22 (2014)
• World Record: Florent Manaudou (FRA) – 22.22 (2014)

Top 8 finishers: 

• 1st: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS): 22.57
• 2nd: Michele Lamberti (ITA): 22.79
• 3rd: Apostolos Christou (GRE): 22.87
• 4th: Pavel Samusenko (RUS): 23.03
• 5th: Lorenzo Mora (ITA): 23.08
• 6th: Robert Glinta (ROU): 23.13
• 7th: Ole Braunschweig (GER): 23.38
• 8th: Kristof Milak (HUN): 23.50

Russian star Kliment Kolesnikov blasted a new meet record in the 50 back, easily taking the 2nd semifinal by nearly a half second in 22.57 and heads into tomorrow’s final as the gold medal favorite. Italy’s Michele Lamberti outtouched Greece’s Apostolos Christou in the first semifinal to finish second overall in 22.79, while Christou was the only other swimmer to finish under 23 seconds, coming in third overall in 22.87.

Hungarian butterfly specialist Kristof Milak will sneak into tomorrow’s 50 back final in the 8th spot with a 23.50, where he touched just .01 ahead of the Czech Republic’s Tomas Franta, who finished 9th.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE SEMI-FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:02.92 (2013)
• European Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:02.36 (2013)
• World Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) / Alia Atkinson (JAM) – 1:02.36 (2013/2014)

Top 8 finishers: 

• 1st: Arianna Castiglioni (ITA): 1:04.31
• 2nd: Evgeniia Chikunova (RUS) 1:04.53
• 3rd: Nika Godun (RUS) 1:04.64
• 4th: Martina Carraro (ITA) 1:04.88
• 5th: Eneli Jefimova (EST) 1:04.99
• 6th: Ida Hulkko (FIN) 1:05.00
• 7th: Emelie Fast (SWE) 1:05.11
• 8th: Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) 1:05.25

Italian veteran Arianna Castiglioni took the top seed heading into tomorrow’s final, using a quick back half to take the second semifinal in 1:04.31.

The main storyline for tomorrow’s final, however will be youth vs. the veterans, as 16 year-old Russian Evgeniia Chikunova finished won the first semifinal in 1:04.53, while 14 year-old Estonian Eneli Jefimova finished 5th overall in 1:04.99. Russia’s Nika Godun will be the third seed for tomorrow after finishing 2nd in the second semifinal in 1:04.64, while 28 year-old Italian Martinia Carraro finished fourth overall in 1:04.88.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY SEMI-FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Yevgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) – 48.93 (2009)
• European Record: Yevgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) – 48.48 (2009)
• World Record: Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 47.78 (2020)

Top 8 finishers: 

• 1st: Tomoe Hvas Zenimoto (NOR): 49.22
• 2nd: Kristof Milak (HUN): 49.71
• 3rd: Jakub Majerski (POL): 49.73
• 4th: Uemitcan Gueres (TUR): 49.80
• 5th: Szebasztian Szabo (HUN): 49.83
• 6th: Grigori Pekarski (BLR): 50.05
• 7th: Michele Lamberti (ITA): 50.11
• 8th: Roman Shevlyakov (RUS): 50.13

Norwegian Tomoe Hvas Zenimoto dominated the first semifinal in a new Norwegian record in 49.22 and will head into tomorrow’s final as the top seed by nearly half a second. Trailing behind in second is the Tokyo 2020 100 fly silver medalist Kristof Milak, who returned to the pool just minutes after qualifying for the 50 back finals to take the 2nd semifinal in 49.71. Joining Milak and Hvas under 50 seconds was Poland’s Jakub Majerski who qualified 3rd in 49.73, Turkey’s Uemitcan Gueres, who also swim for Harvard in the NCAA, qualified 4th in 49.80 and Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo who qualified 5th in 49.83.

Despite not qualifying for tomorrow’s final, Jan Sefl set a new Czech record with a 50.46 by finishing 5th in the first semifinal.

WOMEN’S 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY FINAL

• SC Euros Record: Netherlands (2009) – 1:33.52
• European Record: Netherlands (2020) – 1:32.50
• World Record: Netherlands (2020) – 1:32.50

Top 3 finishers: 

• Gold: Russia- 1:34.92
• Silver: Netherlands- 1:35.47
• Bronze: Poland- 1:35.94

The host nation took home the gold in the championship’s first relay, with Russia touching first in 1:34.92. Rozaliya Nasretdinova led off in a solid 24.18 and was followed by a trio of 23 splits, including a 23.63 anchor from 16 year-old Daria Klepikova, who closed out a half second win for the Russians in a new national record. The Netherlands touched second in 1:35.47 with quartet of veterans, with anchor Valerie Van Roon posting the team’s fastest split of 23.66.

Poland grabbed the bronze medal in a new national record of 1:35.94 after a blistering 23.40 leadoff from sprinting ace Kasia Wasick. Alicja Tchorz also posted a great anchor leg for Poland, splitting 23.47.

Finishing outside the podium in fifth place was Sweden despite a field’s fastest split from Sarah Sjostrom‘s 23.35 leadoff.

MEN’S 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY FINAL

• SC Euros Record: France (2008) – 1:20.77
• European Record: France (2008) – 1:20.77
• World Record: United States (2018) – 1:21.80

Note: FINA did not formally recognize the 4×50 SCM World Record until 2013, so France’s 2008 team is not considered the World Record Holder despite holding the fastest time in history. 

Top 3 finishers: 

• Gold: Netherlands- 1:22.89
• Silver: Italy- 1:22.92
• Bronze: Russia- 1:23.35

In a tight race that came down to the touch, The Netherlands claimed the gold over Italy 1:22.89 to 1:22.92. Jesse Puts gave the Dutch an early lead with a 21.10 leadoff, a lead they held until Italy’s Lorenzo Zazzeri posted the field’s fastest split of 20.24 on Italy’s third leg. Thom De Boer ran down the Italians at the end with a 20.46 achor leg, just touching just ahead of Marco Orsi, who split 20.66 on the end for Italy.

The Russian hosts finished in 3rd for the bronze in 1:23.35. The Russians were led by a swift 21.22 leadoff from Vlad Morozov and a 20.45 anchor from Kliment Kolesnikov. Poland finished a distant fourth in 1:26.06 despite a a quick 21.26 leadoff from Pawel Juraszek.