Kirill Prigoda Shatters 100 Breast European Record In 56.02

EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

• December, 13th to 17th
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• 25m
• Entry lists
• Live timing
• Webcast (for Europe)
• Results 
• Recap Day 1, prelims
• Recap Day 1, finals 
• Recap Day 2, prelims
• Recap Day 2, finals
• Recap Day 3, prelims

Russian Kirill Prigoda continued his strong showing at the 2017 European Short Course Championships on Friday, breaking the continental record in the men’s 100 breast semi-finals in a time of 56.02.

After posting the third fastest time of the morning in 56.81, the 21-year-old threw down the new European record in the second semi-final to assert himself as the favorite for tomorrow’s final. He breaks countryman Oleg Kostin‘s previous record of 56.17 (also breaking the Russian national record, of course), set just last month, and also breaks the meet championship record previously held by the Netherlands’ Robin van Aggele (56.29) from 2009.

The second fastest qualifier for tomorrow’s final was Great Britain’s Adam Peaty, who went 56.24 to win the first semi. Peaty has mentioned that he’s unrested for this meet, but the fastest man ever in the long course pool will certainly be a threat to Prigoda tomorrow. Also cracking 57 seconds in the semis was Arno Kamminga (56.60), Fabio Scozzoli (56.67), Fabian Schwingenschloegl (56.87) and Ilya Shymanovich (56.89), indicating we could be in for a very close final. The world record, which could be in jeopardy, stands at 55.61 from Cameron van der Burgh in 2009.

Prigoda already has a gold medal under his belt in Copenhagen in the 200 breast, and also picked up a silver (ahead of Peaty) in the 50 breast. With clockings of 2:01.11 and 25.68, and now his 56.02, he has reset all his personal best times in the breaststroke events this week.