Kirpichnikova, Surkova & Egorova Carry Momentum At Day 3 Prelims In Kazan

2021 RUSSIAN NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 3-9, 2021
• Palace of Water Sports, Kazan, Russia
• Prelims: 9:00 am local/2:00 am Eastern, Finals: 6:00 pm local/11:00 am Eastern
• LCM (50m)
• Russian Olympic Qualification Procedures
• Meet Central
• Start Lists/Results
• Live Stream (YouTube channel)

Three of the four women who qualified for the 2021 Olympic Games on Day 2 of the Russian Olympic Trials carried that momentum forward by taking the top spot in their respective events during the third preliminary session from Kazan.

Anna Egorova, who set a new National Record in the 400 free on Sunday, was the lone woman to crack 2:00 in the 200 freestyle heats, clocking a time of 1:59.89.

The 22-year-old’s personal best time in the event stands at 1:57.58, set in December, so she should have plenty more in the tank for both the semis tonight and the final tomorrow.

Veronika Andrusenko, the previous record holder in the 400 free, wasn’t far behind to qualify second in 2:00.13, and 17-year-old Aleksandra Sabitova (2:00.52) was one of four others sub-2:01. That was a massive best for Sabitova, who had previously been 2:03.53 in 2018.

The runner-up to Egorova in yesterday’s 400, Anastasia Kirpichnikova dominated the women’s 1500 prelims by almost 45 seconds, cruising to a time of 16:08.18. The 20-year-old set a new Russian Record of 15:53.18 in December.

Also following a big day on Sunday by claiming a top seed this morning was 22-year-old Arina Surkova, the winner of the women’s 100 fly, who checked in with a 26.19 50 fly to pace the field.

That swim put her over four-tenths clear of the next-fastest competitor – 2004-born Daria Tatarinova (26.63). Svetlana Chimrova, the 100 fly runner-up who also made the Olympic team on Day 2, qualified third in 26.66.

OTHER EVENTS

• Eight men went sub-28 in the 50 breaststroke prelims, led by Kirill Strelnikov (27.39), who was the early leader in the last night’s 100 breast final. Oleg Kostin notably sits in a tie for third in 27.60, while neither Kirill Prigoda or Anton Chupkov have opted to race the non-Olympic event. Prigoda and Chupkov went 1-2 in the 100 breast to add their names to the Olympic team on Sunday.
• Alexander Kudashev put up the top time in the men’s 200 fly in 1:58.53, followed by Egor Pavlov (1:59.22) and Alexander Pribytok (1:59.51).
• Alexandra Denisenko (2:14.50) qualified first in the women’s 200 IM over Anastasia Sorokina (2:14.75) and Maria Temnikova (2:15.23).