America: Here Is Your 4th of July Holiday Swimming Digest

60% of SwimSwam’s readers reside in the United States, which means that for a large part of our audience, their attention today is focused on beers, lakes, boats, and doing other things in pools besides swimming laps.

Meanwhile, in Europe (with today’s celebration being primarily the anniversary of America no longer being a part of Europe), there is some fast swimming going on. We understand if not every American swimming fan has time to read all of the articles for today, so here is a “headlines only” digest of the key takeaways from the day’s races.

World University Games:

• Dean Farris split a 47.0 on the United States’ 400 free relay while you were still sleeping. Here’s a video.
•  Dean was slower in finals, only splitting 47.48. The American men added .15 seconds short of the Russian-held meet record in the event. Zach Apple split 47.79 on the leadoff leg, which makes him the 7th-fastest American in history. He was followed by Farris (47.48), Robert Howard (47.74), and Tate Jackson (48.02). The final time of 3:11.03 would have taken bronze at the 2017 World Championships.
• American Asia Seidt swam a 2:08.81 in the 200 back semi-finals to break the Meet Record.
• Ian Finnerty broke the Meet Record (and broke a minute) in the men’s 100 breaststroke, swimming 59.51.
• No Americans made the final in the women’s 50 fly, which was led by Korean Soeun Jeong in 26.50.
• Justin Ress is the top qualifier for tomorrow’s men’s 100 back final in 53.47. American-trained swimmers Grigory Tarasevich (53.71) and Zane Waddell (54.01) are 2nd and 3rd, and Bryce Mefford is 4th in 54.34.
• No American medals in the men’s 400 free, which Japan’s Keisuke Yoshida won in 3:49.48.
• The American women won the 400 free relay in a new Meet Record of 3:37.99 (breaking their own record from prelims). Splits: Veronica Burchill – 55.39, Claire Rassmus – 54.63, Catie DeLoof – 54.10, Gabby DeLoof – 53.87. The DeLoof sisters had the 2 fastest splits in the field.
• Final American medal count on day 1 (with only 3 medal finals): 2 golds, 0 silvers, 0 bronzes. They lead the table, followed by Japan with 1 gold and 1 silver.
• Great Britain’s Abbie Wood, in the 400 IM final, didn’t hear the “take your marks” command. She never left the block when the race was started. As of posting, there has been no medal ceremony nor have official results been posted.

European Junior Championships:

• 14-year old British swimmer Jacob Whittle swam a 49.9 in the 100 meter free. At 14-years old. Let that sink in. His countrymate Matthew Richards swam 49.50 at 16.
• Thomas Ceccon of Italy scratched as the top seed in the 200 IM, and that paid off with a victory in the 100 backstroke in 54.13.
• Evgenia Chikunova, the 14-year old who dethroned Yulia Efimova and won the 200 breast at Russian Nationals, swam a 2:21.0 in the semi-finals. That’s a new Russian Junior Record (Under 17), clearing the 2:22.6 she swam in April.
• Germany’s Isabel Gose won a whopping three gold medals on Thursday evening. First she took a commanding win in the 400 free (4:07.96), then added one int he 100 free (54.86), and finished the day by anchoring Germany’s mixed 400 free relay to a new Championship Record (she split 54.42). That’s a session.
• Italy leads the medals table after day 1 with 4gold, 2silver, 1bronze; followed by Germany (4g, 2s, 0b) and Russia (2g, 4s, 5b). Russia holds a commanding lead in the “points” team rankings, however, followed by Great Britain and Italy. The points reward depth by scoring to 8 places instead of just the 3 rewarded by a medals table.