Kolesnikov’s WR, Russian Records From Surkova & Kameneva Highlight Day 4 In Kazan

2022 RUSSIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS (SCM)

• November 20-25, 2022
• Kazan, Russia
• Short Course Meters (25 meters), prelims/finals + semi-finals for 50 & 100 meter races.
• Results

It was a record-setting night at the Russian Swimming Championships (SCM) in Kazan on Wednesday, headlined by a new world record from Kliment Kolesnikov in the men’s 50 backstroke.

Kolesnikov rocketed to a time of 22.11, breaking the eight-year-old world record of 22.22 set by Frenchman Florent Manaudou in 2014. You can read more on the record swim here.

Pavel Samusenko was the runner-up to Kolesnikov in 22.85, just shy of his best time (22.74) set at the 2021 Short Course World Championships, while two-time Olympic gold medalist Evgeny Rylov rounded out the top three in 23.16.

Prior to that, Kolesnikov dropped a blistering best time of 20.88 in the 50 free leading off Moscow City’s 200 free relay, improving on his previous PB of 21.10. Moscow City won the event in 1:24.78, as Kolesnikov was joined by Petr Zhikharev (21.46), Vladislav Grinev (21.11) and Ilia Shevchenko (21.33).

In addition to Kolesnikov’s world record, there were a pair of new Russian Records set on Wednesday, along with two National Junior Records.

In the women’s 50 fly, Arina Surkova picked up gold in a time of 24.84, breaking her previous Russian Record of 24.87 set during the 2020 International Swimming League (ISL) season while competing for the NY Breakers.

Anita Grishchenko placed second in 25.45, while 17-year-old Daria Klepikova set a new National Junior Record of 25.69 to take third. The previous record was 26.03, set by Rozaliya Nasretdinova in 2013, though Klepikova was faster in the long course pool last year (25.98).

After setting a new Russian mark in the women’s 100 free on Tuesday, Maria Kameneva broke her 50 back record in the semi-finals one night later, clocking 26.05 to chop a tenth off the 26.15 mark she established at the 2016 SC World Championships. Kameneva then matched the old record at the 2019 Vladimir Salnikov Cup.

Daria Vaskina was the lone swimmer within one second of Kameneva in the semis, touching in 26.91.

Another Russian Junior Record fell in the women’s 100 IM, where Nika Godun won gold in a time of 58.68 to undercut her previous best of 58.82 set last December. The new record went to Iana Shakirova, who finished in a time of 59.56 to lower the previous mark of 59.98 set by Anastasia Sorokina in 2018.

OTHER DAY 4 HIGHLIGHTS

• Egor Kornev set a new best time to win the men’s 100 IM in 52.33, leading a tightly-bunched field that saw Sergey Fesikov (52.60), Andrey Zhilkin (52.64) and Aleksandr Shchegolev (52.95) also under 53 seconds.
• After setting a PB of 7:46.37 in the prelims, Aleksandr Stepanov topped the men’s 800 free field in a big best of 7:39.65, followed by Aleksandr Egorov (7:41.40) and Andrey Filipets (7:41.43).
• Aleksandr Obsharov overcame a tight field to win the men’s 50 free in 21.21, leading Daniil Markov (21.24), Andrei Minakov (21.31), Rylov (21.41) and Grinev (21.47).
• Minakov also qualified first into the final of the men’s 50 fly, clocking 22.50 to edge out Oleg Kostin (22.52) and Mikhail Vekovishchev (22.61).
• Belarusian Alina Zmushka was the top qualifier out of the women’s 100 breast semis in 1:04.07, followed by Russians Evgeniia Chikunova (1:04.26) and Tatiana Belonogoff (1:04.61).
• Moscow City won the men’s 800 free relay in 6:59.00, including a 1:43.70 lead-off from Daniil Shatalov and a 1:43.36 anchor from Zhikharev. Rylov (1:44.81) and Ivan Girev (1:42.76) swam the back-half legs for runner-up Moscow Region (7:01.71).

The event is the second leg of Russia’s “Friendship Games”, organized to supplement the country’s ban from international competition due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The United Nations reported this week that civilian deaths in Ukraine have topped 6,500 and civilian injuries have topped 10,000. Substantial evidence of war crimes has also been found, especially as Russia retreats among a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the southern and eastern parts of the country.