Grinev, Tarasevich Among New Qualifiers On Final Night Of Russian Nats

RUSSIAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 7-12, 2018
• Kazan, Russia
• SCM (25m)
• Palace of Water Sports
• SC World Qualifying Standards (In Russian)
• Start Lists / Live Results
• Day 1 Recap
• Day 2 Recap
• Day 3 Recap
• Day 4 Recap
• Day 5 Recap

A total of six swimmers added their name to the Russian Short Course Worlds team on the final night of their National SC Championships in Kazan, and there was also a new Russian Junior Record set by Kliment Kolesnikov.

In the men’s 100 freestyle final, 22-year-old Vladislav Grinev won a tight battle with Kolesnikov in a time of 46.39, getting him under the qualifying standard (46.58) and thus earning the second individual spot for Hangzhou behind Vlad Morozov (who went 45.16 at the Tokyo World Cup). This was his last chance to make the team after finishing 5th in the 200 freestyle (top-4 make the relay), where he led the field through 150 metres before fading on the last 50.

Kolesnikov, who had gone 4/4 coming into the race with wins in the 50/100 back and 100/200 IM, suffered his first individual loss in a final by just .04 in 46.43. While he misses attaining an individual berth in a 5th event for Worlds, he does slot himself in for the 400 free relay, as did 3rd place finisher Sergey Fesikov (46.88). This was also Fesikov’s last chance to make the team after he was bumped off by Morozov in the 100 IM.

Kolesnikov’s swim also broke his own National Junior Record in the event, lowering his 46.55 from last year’s nationals.

Kolesnikov chose to swim the 100 free over the 200 back on day 6, opening the door for Grigory Tarasevich to earn a spot on the team. Evgeny Rylov won the event in 1:49.95, and Tarasevich also got under the standard of 1:50.96 in 1:50.48 to make the team after missing in the 50 and 100. Rylov, who had already made the team in the 50 back, now sits 3rd in the world rankings, while Tarasevich is now 5th.

Also adding their name to the roster on the final day was Yaroslav Potapov, Maria Temnikova and Svetlana Chimrova.

Potapov had a back and forth battle with Martin Malyutin in the men’s 1500 timed final, with Malyutin ultimately pulling off the win with a final 50 of 24.81 for a final time of 14:32.10. Potapov was six-tenths back in 14:32.73, as they both got under the qualifying time of 14:33.25 and move into 3rd and 4th in the world behind only Mykhailo Romanchuk and Florian Wellbrock. Both swimmers also crushed their previous best times, as Malyutin’s was 14:45 and Potapov’s 14:41 coming into the race.

Also noteworthy was 3rd place finisher Ernest Maksumov, who improved his best by over eight seconds in 14:36.01 to move into 7th in the world.

Temnikova made her way onto the team in the women’s 200 breast, clocking in at 2:18.85 to surpass both the qualifying time (2:19.68) and Vitalina Simonova‘s showing at the World Cup (2:19.53). Yuliya Efimova (2:16.29) was holding down the first spot in the event, and Temnikova needed to beat out Simonova to get on the team and did just that. Daria Chikunova also got under the qualifying time to take 2nd in 2:19.57.

Chimrova won the women’s 100 fly in 57.07, and even though she missed the qualifying standard of 56.44, will make the team for the medley relay. She had also won the 200 fly earlier in the meet but the missed the time there as well.

OTHER EVENTS

• Oleg Kostin added a second individual event to his schedule with a win in the men’s 50 breast, blasting a time of 25.90 to get under the qualifying standard of 25.99 and move into 2nd in the world rankings. Kirill Strelnikov was 2nd in 26.09, missing the time by just a tenth of a second.
• Maria Kameneva, who has already booked a spot on the team in the 100 IM and 400 free relay, won the women’s 50 free in 24.30 over Rozaliya Nasretdinova (24.36) and Arina Surkova (24.50), missing the standard of 23.88.
• The Krasonyark Region team won the women’s 200 free relay in 1:39.91, with a 24.75 anchor from Irina Zlobina, and the Moscow team was 2nd in 1:40.52.
• The Kaluga Region won the men’s 400 medley relay, compiling a strong team made up of Fesikov (51.16), Andrey Nikolaev (57.88), Nikolay Skvortsov (50.88) and Mikhail Vekovishchev (46.46) for a final time of 3:26.38. Moscow was 2nd, just a few one-hundredths back in 3:26.44, with notable splits from Kolesnikov (50.41) on back and Grinev (46.47) on freestyle. Andrey Shabasov also had a 50.81 lead-off for 3rd place St. Petersburg.
• St. Petersburg then won the women’s 400 medley relay, led by strong splits from Kameneva (59.13) on back and Temnikova (1:05.05) on breast. Daria Ustinova also had a notable 57.72 back lead-off for 3rd place Sverdlovsk Region.

PROJECTED WORLDS ROSTER

The projected Russian roster for Short Course Worlds is below. This comes before any coaching changes that could come (the criteria also indicates that up to four junior swimmers may be added). This projection is purely based on the results of this meet and the Tokyo World Cup. There are a total of 30 swimmers, 18 men and 12 women, projected to make the team.