FINA CHAMPIONS SWIM SERIES 2019 #2 – BUDAPEST
- May 11-12, 2019
- Budapest, Hungary
- LCM (50m)
- 8 pm local / 2pm ET start
- FINA Champions Series Info
- Entry List
- Live Stream (Olympic Channel) – May 12th
- Live Stream (FINA TV)
- Live Results (Omega)
Swimming in the opening event on day two of the FINA Champions Series in Budapest, Danas Rapsys had an incredible performance to win the men’s 400 freestyle in a new Lithuanian Record.
The 23-year-old destroyed the four-swimmer field in a time of 3:43.36, smashing his previous national mark of 3:46.73 set in May of 2018. His best time at the beginning of 2018 was 3:53.33.
The 2016 Olympian now has two wins for the competition after winning the 200 on day one and moves into a tie for second in the world this year with Italian Gabriele Detti.
Reigning world champion Sun Yang set the top time in the world at the first Champions Series stop in Guangzhou, clocking 3:42.75. Rapsys didn’t swim the 400 there but was the runner-up to Sun in the 200 free.
Take a look at his splits compared to those done in his previous best time (he was notably under world record pace through the 250-metre mark):
| Rapsys, 2018 | Rapsys, 2019 |
| 25.48 | 25.45 |
| 54.15 (28.67) | 53.49 (28.04) |
| 1:23.28 (29.13) | 1:21.81 (28.32) |
| 1:52.45 (29.17) | 1:50.20 (28.39) |
| 2:21.51 (29.06) | 2:18.59 (28.39) |
| 2:50.58 (29.07) | 2:47.25 (28.66) |
| 3:19.33 (28.75) | 3:15.87 (28.62) |
| 3:46.73 (27.40) | 3:43.36 (27.49) |
Rapsys continues his recent string of success in the 400 after he won the Short Course World Championship title back in December in a time of 3:34.01 which made him the #3 performer of all-time.
Only 3 men have been 3:42 or faster in the last decade in textile, only one more than the decade before that
Way off his 200fr best here too. Moving up, or more to give I wonder…
More to give you’d expect? Blunted speed from training Be rare to move up distances with age.
Incidentally, I didn’t realise until now that Biedermann negative split that World Record. Given it’s super suited, thank god he didn’t get after it.
On Biedermann 100% agree. Think both he and Pellegrini could have gone substantially faster in the 400s in Rome.
Oh lawd he comin’