Kolesnikov Fires Off 52.53 100 Back WJR For Glasgow Gold (Video)

2018 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• August 3-9, 2018 (swimming portion)
• Glasgow, Scotland
• Tollcross International Swimming Centre
• Meet Central
• Program
• Psych Sheet
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Live Stream (Europe w/ English commentary)

Already making his mark on these European Championships with a 50m backstroke World Record from earlier here in Glasgow, Russian teenager Kliment Kolesnikov cranked out a new World Junior, European Junior and Russian National Record with his 52.53 gold medal-winning performance in tonight’s 100m back final.

Kolesnikov set himself up for the win nicely with a prelims time of 53.01 and semi effort of 52.95. His latter performance narrowly overtook his old World Junior and European Junior Records of 52.97 set just this April at Russian Nationals. In that race, Kolesnikov split 26.00/26.95 to dip under the 53-second threshold for just the 2nd time of his young career.

Tonight, however, he rocked splits of 25.53/27.00 to log a new mark of 52.53 and re-write the record books. His speedy effort also managed to overtake the old Russian national record of 52.57 which has stood since the 2009 supersuit era. Now-retired Arkady Vyatchanin, who wound up represented the United States at the end of his storied career, notched the previous NR at the 2009 World Championships as medley relay lead-off.

With his performance, Kolesnikov now rockets up to #2 in the world rankings, sitting only behind American Ryan Murphy.

Kolesnikov is splitting time in training between the Energy Standard group based out off Turkey and his home club in Moscow, where he trains under Dimitry Lazarev.