Nikoletta Padar Hits 1:56.55 200 Free To Down European Junior Record Target Time

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap

Hungary’s Nikoletta Padar had a breakthrough performance of sorts on Tuesday at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, becoming the first female swimmer to take hold of the European Junior Record in the 200 freestyle.

Padar fired off a time of 1:56.55 in the semi-finals of the women’s 200 free to break the “target time” for the European Junior Record of 1:56.78.

When junior records started becoming officially recognized, target times were implemented to establish an initial mark, usually mirroring the fastest-ever junior time prior to the records coming into play. In this case, the 1:56.78 target was the time produced by Germany’s Franziska van Almsick at the 1994 World Championships when she was 16 (it was also the world record for eight years until she lowered it in 2002).

Padar, who turned 17 earlier this year, has now lowered her lifetime best three times over the last three weeks, culminating with her breaking van Almsick’s mark in Fukuoka.

Padar first clocked 1:57.59 to win gold at the 2023 European Junior Championships in Belgrade during the first week of July, taking down her previous PB of 1:57.80 at the 2022 Euros where she finished eighth.

Padar then got down to 1:57.35 in the prelims in Fukuoka, advancing into the semis in eighth place before dropping all the way down to 1:56.55 during the evening session. Despite the sizeable improvement, Padar missed the final in 10th, though she did rank third among European swimmers.

Split Comparison

Padar won bronze last summer at the European Championships on the Hungarian women’s 800 free relay, and also claimed five gold medals at the 2022 World Junior Championships in Lima, including two individually in the girls’ 100 and 200 free.

At the European Junior Championships, she’s racked up 15 medals over the last three championships, including four gold and one silver in 2023.

The 200 free was Padar’s lone individual entry in Fukuoka, though we can expect her to feature on the Hungarian 800 free relay later on.

In the women’s 400 free relay prelims on Sunday, she anchored Hungary in 55.13 as they finished 13th.

On the girls’ side, target times are still in place for European Junior Records (LCM) in the 200 back (2:06.62), 50 fly (25.66), 100 fly (56.46), 200 IM (2:11.03) and 400 free relay (3:39.91).