4 NATIONS MEET
The inaugural 2020 ‘4 Nations’ Swimming Meet got underway today at the Széchy Swimming Arena on Margaret Island in Budapest.
The competition was originally designed to see talent stemming from Austria, Hungary, Germany, and the Czech Republic, but plans have changed since the initial announcement. As we reported early last month, the nation of Germany declined to participate, but Poland has been added to the competition.
Day 1’s prelims session was already packed with talent, as Hungarian Olympians, Katinka Hosszu and Laszlo Cseh were in the water, alongside 2019 world record setter Kristof Milak. Coronavirus recoveree Boglarka Kapas was also among those taking to the Széchy Swimming Arena this morning.
Notable Morning Results:
The Iron Lady Hosszu took the top seed in the women’s 400m IM with a casual morning swim of 4:45.38. That rendered her in the pole position by just about a second, with 2nd seeded Reka Nyiradi flanking her countrywoman in a morning time of 4:46.42.
Nyiradi is just 15 years of age, with this morning’s outing checking is as a new lifetime best. The teen’s previous career-quickest was represented by the 4:47.97 she put up this past February, with that and today’s performances signifying her only sub-4:50 outings.
Mainstay Zsuzsanna Jakabos also staked her claim on the race, establishing herself as the 3rd seed in a morning effort of 4:46.71.
The men’s 400m IM was led by David Verraszto, with the 31-year-old European champion clocking a time of 4:16.37, holding about a second advantage over next in line Hubert Kos’ 4:16.86. That’s a big swim for 17-year-old Kos, who had never before been under 4:20 in this event.
Kos made a name for himself at the 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival, racing his way to 4 individual silver medals, including in this 400m IM there in Baku.
Kapas cruised into the top spot in the women’s 200m free, holding lane 4 for tonight with a morning swim of 2:00.01. Austrian rising teen Marlene Kahler is right behind in 2:00.17, while Kapas’ fellow Hungarian Ajna Kesely is also in the mix with her AM effort of 2:01.15.
The aforementioned Milak dove in twice, taking on the 200m free/100m fly double this morning. In the former, he punched a time of 1:50.57 to situate himself as the 2nd seed behind Austrian Felix Aubock, with the former Michigan Wolverine hitting a time of 1:50.10.
Milak then tied Pole Jakub Majerski in the 1fly, with both men stopping the clock in 52.30. Marcin Cieslak, Adam Telegdy and Laszlo Cseh also made it into the final, while Szebasztian Szabo fell just short in 9th place (54.05).
4:16 for a 17 year old sheesh