Glinta, Mityukov Among National Record Breakers In Men’s 100 Back Prelims

2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
• Budapest, Hungary
• Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
• Event Site
• Entry List
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Day 3 Full Prelims Recap

Four National Records went down during the preliminaries of the men’s 100 backstroke on Day 3 of the 2021 European Championships, led by Romanian Robert Glinta in a time of 53.26.

Records also fell at the hands of Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov, Portugal’s Joao Nogueira Costa and Luxembourg’s Max Mannes.

ROMANIA

The 24-year-old Glinta crushed a time of 53.26 to qualify third overall for the semi-finals, lowering his previous National Record of 53.32 set at the 2018 Romanian Championships.

A 2016 Olympic finalist in the event, setting what had previously stood as the NR in the semis to get there in 53.34,  Glinta finished fourth in this event at the 2018 Euros (53.81), and is coming off of a second consecutive silver medal in the 50 back on Tuesday.

This morning’s swim marks Glinta’s second time under 54 seconds in the 2020-21 season, having gone 53.97 at the Romanian Cup in April. Prior to that, his last time sub-54 came at the 2019 World Championships, where he finished eighth in 53.40.

Glinta’s strong back-half of 27.26 in the prelims, which appears to be his fastest second 50 ever, suggests there’s more in the tank for the semis and final.

Comparative Splits:

SWITZERLAND

Qualifying 10th for the semi-final was Mityukov, who broke 54 seconds for the first time in 53.87 for a new Swiss Record.

The 20-year-old held the previous mark at 54.04, set at the Swiss Championships in early April, where he had also gone a PB in the prelims (54.06). Mityukov actually entered 2021 with a best time of 54.62, set at the 2019 Worlds (also a National Record), and has now been faster five times this year, with an additional 54.22 in February and 54.52 in March.

Comparative Splits:

Mityukov also broke Switzerland’s National Record in the 100 freestyle earlier in the meet, leading off the men’s 400 free relay in 48.20. He’ll contest the individual final of that event on Wednesday evening, scheduled 11 minutes before his semi-final swim in the 100 back.

PORTUGAL

No Portuguese man had ever broken 55 seconds in the men’s 100 back coming into today. Now two have.

Both Joao Nogueira Costa and Francisco Rogerio Santos eclipsed the barrier in the prelims at Euros, led by Costa who snags the National Record in 54.70. Santos was not far behind in 54.72, as the two men finish 23rd and 24th overall, respectively.

The previous mark had belonged to Gabriel Lopes, who swam a time of 55.01 at the 2017 Portuguese Championships.

Costa came into the meet with a best time of 55.08, while Santos had previously been 55.11.

LUXEMBOURG

23-year-old Max Mannes downed his newly-minted Luxembourgish Record in the event in a time of 55.83, having set the record less than three weeks ago (May 1) in 56.01.

Mannes has now reset his best time in four consecutive races, first clocking 56.47 and 56.14 at the Swim Open Stockholm in April prior to his two most recent records. Prior to that, his best time stood at 57.18 from January of 2019.

Mannes finished 44th overall.