Minakov Puts Up 51.48 100 Fly Prelim To Open Day 6 of Russian Trials

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)

One session removed from earning his first Olympic berth, 19-year-old Andrei Minakov delivered a strong preliminary swim in the men’s 100 butterfly at the 2021 Russian Olympic Trials.

Minakov, the runner-up in Wednesday night’s 100 freestyle, clocked 51.48 in the 100 fly to earn the top seed by half a second, falling just over a tenth shy of his season-best time. His 51.37 showing from October’s Russian Championships currently ranks him sixth in the world for 2020-21.

Minakov’s best time stands at 50.83 – also the current Russian Record – which earned him the silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.

Qualifying second into the semi-finals was Mikhail Vekovishchev, who clocked 51.94 to move into 20th in the world. Vekovishchev owns a best time of 51.56, and is still looking to qualify for the Olympics.

Five other men broke 53 seconds, led by Alexander Sadovnikov (52.40) and Egor Kuimov (52.56).

OTHER EVENTS

• Anastasia Klyarovskaya qualified first for the women’s 200 backstroke semis in a time of 2:12.56, having set her best of 2:11.81 this past October. That swim was notably her first PB in the event in over five years. Daria K. Ustinova advanced second in 2:14.19, and owns a best of 2:06.92 that was set in 2016. Her fastest time since the beginning of 2019, however, is 2:10.05. 30-year-old Anastasia Fesikova opted to drop the event this morning, having already qualified for Tokyo in the 100 back.
• Ilya Druzhinin, who qualified for his second straight Olympic team in last night’s 800 freestyle, came back to lead the men’s 1500 heats in 15:25.91, followed by Ilia Sibirtsev (15:28.86). Alexander Egorov, who won the 800 free, cruised through in fifth, clocking 15:35.49.
• Having dominated the 1500 and 400 frees earlier in the meet, respectively, Anastasia Kirpichnikova (8:39.72) and Anna Egorova (8:41.76) marked the only two women to crack 9:00 in the 800 free prelims. Kirpichnikova set the National Record of 8:22.65 in December, ranking her third in the world this season, and Egorova also owns an elite best time having been 8:24.71 at the 2018 European Championships. The 22-year-old also went 8:27.51 just a weeks ago in Marseille.