Latecomer Katinka Wins Two at Salnikov; Efimova Just Misses World Record

Though it was only very late in this meet that Hungarian star Katinka Hosszu finally made an appearance at the 2013 Salnikov Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia, once she did, she fired up in a hurry. Hosszu missed the first day of this meet, ostensibly while winning the Hungarian Sportswoman of the Year award, but did arrive on Saturday to swim a handful of races.

In her first final of the meet, the 200 fly, Hosszu just barely missed her lifetime best with a 2:02.21 (.01 shy of what she did at Short Course Worlds last year) to win by 9 seconds. That included a 58.4 over her first 100 meters: a considerably stiffer front half than what we’ve seen from her in the past.

Then again at the end of the session, Hosszu was a 58.16 (also one of her better times) to win the women’s 100 IM: again having taken the swim out much harder than perhaps history and the final result would indicate.

In that 100 IM, she knocked off Yulia Efimova, who swam a Russian National Record of 59.19 for 2nd place, and the Netherlands’ Wendy van der Zanden, who was a 59.74.

The richest final of the meet also came on Saturday in the men’s 1500 free. There, in honor of the great distance swimmer and the meet’s namesake Vladimir Salnikov, the total prize moneys were doubled, with RUB 55,000 going to the event winner (~$1,671). That winner would be the Canadian Ryan Cochrane, who was almost unchallenged en route to a 14:40.22 while swimming largely unchallenged. A pair of Russian 22-year olds were behind him: Sergey Strelnikov (14:56.11) and Aleksei Solpekovskii (14:57.14), with Denmark’s Mads Glaesner even further behind in 15:06.54.

South African Cameron van der Burgh ran away with another men’s sprint breaststroke race, touching in 57.01 for the victory ahead of the defending long course World Champion Christian Sprenger (58.33). Kirill Strelnikov represented the home team taking 3rd in 48.43, just ahead of Ukraine’s Andryi Kovalenko (58.61).

There were two women’s breaststroke races on the day. In the 50, Yulia Efimova won with little contest in 28.77, which left her just .06 seconds away from the World Record she set earlier this season at the Tokyo World Cup stop. She is also the World Record holder over 200 meters; however, she never entered the prelim of that race in this meet, which means that Ukraine’s Ganna Dzerkal won in 2:21.78.

Andrey Grechin took the men’s 50 free in 21.48, beating out Russians Evgeny Lagunov (21.51) and 17-year old Evgeny Sedov (21.86). The Russians don’t keep official records for juniors in SCM, but if they did, one might imagine Sedov would be close upon it.

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, who won double on day 1 of this meet, only got a single victory on day 2, however she did fight Belarus’ Aleksandra Herasimenia to the wire in the women’s 100 fly. Herasimenia turned first, but Sjostrom closed mightily over the last 25 meters, with Herasimenia winning in 52.06, followed by Sjostrom in 52.16.

Her win came at the end of the session in the 50 fly with a 25.07 to top Inge Dekker’s 25.33. Herasimenia was only 4th in the sprintier fly, touching in 26.17.

The men’s 100 fly went to the World Record holder Evgeny Korotyshkin in 49.43, holding off the hot Belarusian Yauhen Tsurkin, who was a 50.79 for 2nd.

Moscow-based Alexandra Papusha took the women’s 100 backstroke in 58.42, beating Canada’s Hilary Caldwell and her 59.26.

And finally, settling the score from the 100 free on Friday, Danila Izotov was a 1:41.77 in the men’s 200 free to run away from country mate Nikita Lobintsev and his 1:43.12. Izotov built his lead throughout this race, and showed off his back-history as a 200/400 freestyler, though he’s moved to a more sprint-based regiment into his 20’s.

Full Salnikov Cup results available here.