Rapsys, Wellbrock Vault Atop Freestyle World Rankings In Stockholm

2018 SWIM OPEN STOCKHOLM

• Thursday, April 5 – Sunday, April 8
• Stockholm, Sweden
• Meet Central
• Event Schedule
• Live Results

Day 2 of the Swim Open Stockholm event yielded some standout swims, including Sarah Sjostrom and Anton Chupkov following up their impressive swims on day 1 with another win each, but Germany’s Florian Wellbrock and Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys were the ones who stole the show.

After finishing as the runner-up in yesterday’s 400 free final, Wellbrock exploded today in the 1500 freestyle timed final, knocking over nine seconds off the German National Record and nearly fifteen off his own best time. He clocked 14:40.69, destroying the 27-year-old national record of 14:50.36, held by Jörg Hoffmann. Hoffmann posted that time at the 1991 World Championships in Perth, where he edged out Australian legend Kieran Perkins for the gold. Wellbrock takes over the top spot in this year’s world rankings by nearly fifteen seconds, passing Japan’s Syogo Takeda who was previously ranked #1 at 14:55.42 (a time nearly identical to Wellbrock’s previous all-time best of 14:55.49).

Finishing as the runner-up in the race was Ukrainian Mykhailo Romanchuk, the 2017 World Championship silver medalist in the event. He went 14:50.91, sticking with Wellbrock until about the 1000m mark before he fell off the pace. His countryman Sergiy Frolov also cracked 15 minutes for 3rd in 14:56.81.

Rapsys won the 200 back on day 1, finishing not far off his best time, but managed to lower his personal best on day 2 in the 200 freestyle (and the Lithuanian National Record). Out like a shot in 24.03, the Lithuanian out-split the field on all four 50s to take the decisive win in 1:45.12. Previously sitting 2nd in the world behind Sun Yang with his PB of 1:45.35 from January, Rapsys overtakes the #1 spot, passing Sun by 0.03. Last night’s 400 winner Henning Mühlleitner of Germany took 2nd in 1:48.15.

Sjostrom followed up her 50 fly win on day 1 with another decisive gold in the 100 fly, clocking 56.35. That swim edges her past Japan’s Rikako Ikee (56.38) for the top spot in the world. Belgium’s Kimberly Buys placed 2nd in 59.39.

In the men’s 100 breast Chupkov used a 31.21 back half to run down the early leaders and claim gold in 59.61. Ilya Shymanovich of Belarus was 2nd in 1:00.10, with Lithuania’s Giedrius Titenis 3rd in 1:00.27. Chupkov’s Russian countryman Kirill Prigoda had a solid swim in the B-final, clocking 1:01.12.

OTHER WINNERS

• Germany’s Franziska Hentke (4:43.46) edged out Turkey’s Viktoria Zeynep Gunes (4:44.43) to win the women’s 400 IM.
• Mimosa Jallow of Finland picked up her second gold of the meet in the women’s 100 back, posting a time of 1:00.74.
• Belarusian Yauhen Tsurkin held off Joeri Verlinden to win the men’s 100 fly, clocking 52.37 to Verlinden’s 52.43. That makes two close misses for Verlinden, who lost the 50 fly to Konrad Czerniak on day 1 by 0.02.
• Ida Hulkko of Finland went 30.77 to win the women’s 50 breaststroke over Sweden’s Sophie Hansson (31.21).
• Russian Grigory Tarasevich took down the men’s 50 back in 25.28.