Morozov Posts World’s Second Fastest Time in the 50 Freestyle on the Final Day of Russian Nationals

Vladimir Morozov and Yulia Efimova both finished the Russian National Championships with strong performances on the final day of competition.

After posting the world’s number one time in the 100 freestyle on Tuesday Morozov recorded a season’s best and the world’s number two time in the 50 freestyle winning the event in a time of 21.65. The time was the fourth fastest he has ever swum and was not far off his lifetime best of 21.47.

Andrey Grechin finished second in a time of 22.03 which ties him with Cameron McEvoy for the eighth place spot in the world rankings. Grechin’s time is also faster than the World Championships qualifying standard. Evgeny Lagunov finished third in a time of 22.32.

Yulia Efimova was impressive her win in the women’s 100 breaststroke taking the event in a time of 1:05.90. Efimova was one one-hundredth of a second off her season’s best of 1:05.89 which she posted in March and currently sits atop the world rankings.

World record holder Ruta Meilutyte is the only other woman to have broken the 1:06 mark this year posting a 1:05.99 in March.

Efimova was the only woman in the event to swim faster than the World Championships qualifying standard.

Daria Deeva collected the bronze recording a time of 1:08.33 followed by Vitalina Simon who touched in a time of 1:08.62.

Efimova also collected a silver in the women’s 200 IM finishing second to Viktoria Andreeva. Andreeva took the event with ease winning in a time of 2:12.31 more than two seconds ahead of Efimova who finished in a time of 2:14.67. Her time puts her under the World Championships qualifying standard.

Yana Martynova finished third in a time of 2:15.16.

Women’s 50 butterfly

Natalya Lovtsov took the women’s 50 butterfly in a time of 26.05 tying her for sixth place in the world rankings. Lovtsov’s improvement in the event is extraordinary and simply unheard of as her lifetime best going into the event was a 27.37. With her time she sets a new Russian national record beating Svetlana Chimrova‘s mark of 26.24 which she set last year.

Chimrova finished second in a time of 26.53 followed by Alina Kashinskaya who touched in a time of 26.72.

Women’s 100 backstroke

Daria K Ustinova was the only woman to break the one minute barrier in the women’s 100 backstroke taking the event in a time of 59.89. Ustinova’s time is under the World Championships standard and also places her sixth in the world rankings. Her lifetime best is a 59.78.

Anastasia Fesikova finished second in a time of 1:00.59 followed by Maria Kameneva who hit the wall in a time of 1:00.81.

Men’s 400 IM

Semyon Makovich and Alexander Osipenko battled for the men’s 400 IM crown with Makovich coming out on top by three tenths of a second winning the event in a time of 4:17.73. Osipenko finished second in a time of 4:18.03 followed by Alexander Tikhonov who posted a 4:21.49.

Men’s 200 freestyle

Five men finished under the 1:48 mark in the men’s 200 freestyle. Alexander Kranykh took the event in a time of 1:47.39 followed by Alexander Sukhorukov who posted a 1:47.41 and Nikita Lobintsev who hit the wall in a time of 1:47.59.

Vlacheslav Andrusenko finished fourth in a time of 1:47.80 followed by Mikhail Dovgalyuk who finished in a time of 1:47.89.

Men’s 100 butterfly

Vyacheslav Prudnikov took the men’s 100 butterfly in a time of 51.94 which places him 10th in the world rankings. Alexander Popkov finished second in a time of 52.07 followed by Evgeny Koptelov who touched in a time of 52.11.

All three men finished under the World Championships qualifying standard.

Men’s 100 breaststroke

The men’s 100 breaststroke was another tightly contested race as Ilya Khomenko took the event in a time of 1:00.53 six one-hundredths of a second ahead of Anton Lobanov who finished in a time of 1:00.59. Grigory Falko finished third touching in a time of 1:00.73.

Full results can be found here.