Oleksandr Zheltyakov Breaks 2nd Ukrainian Record in 3 Days With 24.91 50 Back

2023 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• September 4 – 9, 2023
• Netanya, Israel
• Wingate Institute
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap| Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap

Oleksandr Zheltyakov just barely missed out on another gold medal at the World Junior Championships, but the 17-year-old Ukrainian did come away with a new national record in the 50-meter backstroke on Thursday in Israel.

Zheltyakov became the first Ukrainian under 25 seconds in the 50 back, clocking a personal-best 24.91 to lower the previous national record of 25.09 that Bogdan Kasian set in July of 2019. Zheltyakov dropped a couple tenths of a second off his previous-best 25.10 from the European Junior Championships in July.

Zheltyakov earned a silver medal behind Miroslav Knedla (24.80), who was just off his Czech record (24.64) from semifinals.

BOYS 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 24.00 – Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS), 2018
• Championship Record: 24.44 – Ksawery Masiuk (POL), 2022

1. Miroslav Knedla (CZE), 24.80
2. Oleksandr Zheltyakov (UKR), 24.91
3. Ulises Saravia (ARG), 25.02
4. Jiang Chenglin (CHN), 25.14
5. Yoon Jihwan (KOR), 25.25
6. Daniel Diehl (USA), 25.33
7. Jakub Krischke (CZE), 25.39
8. Christian Bacico (ITA), 25.52

Zheltyakov was fresh off a victory in the 100 back on Tuesday, when he lowered his own national record to 53.73 — notably, .01 seconds under the Olympic ‘A’ cut in the event. It marked the second Olympic ‘A’ cut of his career after blazing a 1:55.79 at Euro Juniors. He now owns Ukrainian standards in all three LCM backstroke events: 50 back (24.91), 100 back (53.73), and 200 back (1:55.79), the latter of which he’s slated to contest on Saturday.

Zheltyakov keeps continuing his momentum from Euro Juniors in July, when he won the 100 back (54.18) and 200 back (1:55.79). However, tragedy nearly struck last month when a Russian missile hit a hotel that Zheltyakov and his teammates were staying at in Dnipro’s Meteor sports complex. Fortunately, they evacuated to a bomb shelter just in time.

“The hotel we’re staying in is closer to the entrance,” Zheltyakov said. “The missile flew from the other side, where the parking lot is located. Another 20 meters and the missile would have hit the swimming pool. One of the sides, the corner part of the sports complex building, has been damaged. The wall fragments got into the pool, we’re not cleaning outside and in the pool itself. No one was injured.”

According to June numbers released by Ukraine Minister of Youth and Sports, as of March 2023, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused damage to 363 sports facilities in Ukraine, at least 95 of which were completely destroyed. A reported 317 athletes and coaches from Ukraine had been killed as well.

• Related: World Aquatics Approves Participation of Russian, Belarusian Athletes as Neutrals