2022 RUSSIAN SOLIDARITY GAMES
- Thursday, July 21st – Monday, July 25th
- Kazan, Russia
- LCM (50m)
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
- Live Results
- Livestream
The 2022 Russian Solidarity Games concluded tonight in Kazan, with Ilya Borodin ripping a new lifetime best and Russian national record in the men’s 400m IM.
As a reminder, the swimming here is part of a multi-sport event being hosted by Russia after most of their sporting federations were barred from international competition following the country’s invasion of Ukraine in February. The ensuing war has resulted in at least 5,110 civilian deaths according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and has displaced millions of people.
Russia’s banishment from many international sporting events include the recent FINA World Championships, which came after swimmer Evgeny Rylov appeared at a pro-war propaganda event.
The swimming competition features primarily athletes from Russia and Belarus, which was also banned from the World Championships for its part in the invasion, though a handful of other countries have also sent athletes (including Syria, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Armenia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Sudan).
19-year-old Borodin proved to be the highlight of the evening, taking the men’s 400m IM event in a monster effort of 4:08.05. That represented a new lifetime best, overtaking the World Junior Record holder’s previous PB of 4:09.86 clocked at this past April’s Russian Championships.
Borodin’s previous outing also represented the Russian national record, so his 4:08.05 also now checks in as the new Russian standard in the event. The teen now inserts himself into the list of all-time 400m IM performers at #11, though he is the 4th fastest European of all time now in the event.
This season, Borodin ranks 4th and his time here in Kazan would have rendered the Russian the 4th place finisher.
2021-2022 LCM Men 400 IM
Marchand
4:04.28
| 2 | Carson Foster | USA | 4:06.56 | 06/18 |
| 3 | Chase Kalisz | USA | 4:07.47 | 06/18 |
| 4 | Ilya Borodin | RUS | 4:08.05 | 07/25 |
| 5 | Lewis Clareburt | NZL | 4:08.70 | 07/30 |
Splits for Borodin’s gold medal-garnering time here tonight are as follows:
Additional Winners
- Daniil Markov was the top 50m freestyler for the men, hitting 2201 to beat out Kliment Kolesnikov‘s runner-up result of 22.06. At the end of the meet, Kolesnikov also led off his Moscow squad’s medley relay with a solid 52.82 backstroke split.
- The women’s 400m IM saw Anna Chernysheva post 4:46.40 for the win, while the women’s 800m free title was claimed by Yana Kurtseva in 8:44.10.
- Arina Surkova ended her meet with a win in the 50m fly, clocking the only sub-26 second time of the field in 25.89.
- Belarusian ace Ilya Shymanovich led a slew of sub-1:00 breaststroke in the 100m sprint, with the national record holder earning the gold in 58.97.
It’s wild to me how much different the 400 IM landscape looks this year vs. last. Kalisz wins Tokyo in 4:09.4, this year Marchand, Foster, Kalisz, Borodin and Seto have all been faster, with Marchand literally 5 seconds faster.
It kind of reminds me of how Popovici, Scott and Dean have finally pushed the 200 free scene back down closer to the textile WR.
I’m just glad vlad morozov is staying out of this mess
I do feel bad for Borodin on a personal level…he’s such a talent and got covid days before Tokyo…who knows when we will see him compete internationally again.
He might be strongly opposed to the war for all we know.
How legit are these fast times .. a bit skeptical given it’s largely a propaganda meet for the Russian state and we’re lapping it up
He split near exact to Marchand minus breast where he got wiped like a mirror.
I had thought he goes under 4:07.
He should try to swim for another country if he wants to swim at Paris 2024.
They wouldn’t have the same “support” the Russians have, pharmacology speaking.
Not all russian athletes benefit from pharmacology.
Buwahahaha! Cc: VP
Hopefully Russia and Belarus will continue to be banned long term