China, Hungary win team races at Junior World Open Water Championships in Lake Balaton

The third and final day of FINA’s Junior World Open Water Championships brought the team races, with each nation entering two males and one female to compete as one unit.

In the junior division (ages 17-18), it was the home team that picked up the win. Hungary filled their men’s entries with Attila Kiss and Adam Orosz, and were especially helped by having the overall female champ Nikoletta Kiss as their third. That crew was up against a tough Russian squad, though, that included three individual medalists, Anton Evsikov (junior boys gold), Kirill Belyayev (junior boys bronze) and Anastasiia Azarova (junior girls silver).

At the halfway mark, Hungary was just a tenth up on Russia, but they expanded that mark drastically in the back-half, winding up with a 33:26.01 that won by about 8 seconds over the Russians. Brazil took third, a full minute behind Hungary.

In the youth category (ages 14-16), China unsurprisingly picked up the win. The Chinese delegation paired individual silver and bronze medalists Jintong Yang and Zhongyi Qiao as the male legs along with girls champion Siyu Yan for the female leg. That was easily enough to take gold here in 33:25.05, more than a minute ahead of second-place Italy (34:27.07). Italy was led by girls silver medalist Carlotta di Mattia, and the Americans, featuring boys champion Taylor Abbott, took bronze in 34:33.06.

In the overall team points totals, it was Russia who won for the juniors with 72 points. Hungary, powered by that team win, wound up second with 57. Meanwhile in the youth division, China rode that team event win to a points championship with 67. The U.S. was second at 51 points.

Results

FINA wrap-up

Final Team Scores

Juniors (17-18)

1. Russia, 72
2. Hungary, 57
3. France, 35

Youth (14-16)

1. China, 72
2. USA, 51
3. France, 36