Anastasiya Shkurdai Downs Belarusian National Record in 200IM

2020 International Swimming League – Match 9

Anastasiya Shkurdai has continued her record-breaking streak at Match #9 of the ISL season, setting a new Belarusian National Record in the 200 IM.

Her time of 2:07.69 now ranks her with the 5th best time in Europe this short course season:

Rank Athlete  Time  Event
#1 Abbie Wood (GBR) 2:04.77 NR ISL Match 6
#2 Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) 2:06.46 NR ISL Match 1
#3 Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (GBR) 2:06.79 ISL Match 7
#4 Katinka Hosszu (HUN) 2:07.14 ISL Match 8
#5 Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR) 2:07.67 NR ISL Match 9

While competing at Match 6 for her team, Energy Standard, Shkurdai broke the World Junior Record in the 100m butterfly with a time of 55.64. Prior to that swim, she had never been under the 56 mark, and up until today’s match – when her teammate Sarah Sjostrom set a new ISL season-best time in the event – she held the league-leading time for this season.

Here’s a breakdown of her 200 IM from today:

50m 100m 150m 200m Finish
26.99 32.41 38.19 30.10 2:07.69

Her strength on the fly leg was evident as she was first to the touch at the 50m mark and the only athlete sub 27 seconds. There’s definitely room for improvement on her breaststroke leg as her split here was the 3rd slowest in the field.

Including this swim, Shkurdai now holds 6 individual short course National Records, the European Junior Records in the 50m and 100m butterfly and the World Junior Record in the 100m fly.

Shkurdai was out of the 100 fly, her best event, for Match #9. That’s after Energy Standard discovered during Sjostrom’s injury break that Maddy Banic was a capable sprint butterflier at this level. That allowed the defending champions to shift Skurdai to an event where they were weaker – in Match #7, Viktoriya Gunes was their 2nd swimmer in the 200 IM and placed 8th in 2:12.80, getting her points Jackpotted.

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tea rex
3 years ago

This was a great strategic use of their talent.
ENS went 1-2 in the 100 fly, and probably would have with any 2 of their 3 flyers. I would like to see what Sjostrom could do in the 200 IM, but I realize they want to save her for the sprints and relays.