The All-Russian Swimming Federation (WWF) is sending a roster of just 10 swimmers to the 2016 European Aquatics Championships that start on May 9th in London, UK (with swimming starting a week later on the 16th).
While most of the Continent has been dedicating most of their Olympic rosters to the meet, Russia has taken a much different tact with only 10 swimmers going.
Only 2 of the 10 are bona-fied Olympians who made the Russian-set Olympic qualification standards at the country’s Olympic Trials in April. Those two are Grigory Tarasevich, who is trained in the United States at the University of Louisville and a former European Junior Champion; and Andrey Grechin, one of the country’s sprint hammers who will get a chance to race the 50 and 100 freestyles individually.
Among the other 8 is included a 3rd Olympian, Semen Makovich, who didn’t hit the Russian standard, but did hit the FINA ‘A’ standard and was recommended for the team anyway.
4 of the swimmers, Natalia Ivaneeva, Aleksandr Osipenko, Nikolay Skvortov, and Andrey Zhilkin, are swimming for a shot at the Olympics at this meet. Russia has given those 4 one last chance to hit the Russian National standard via the European Championships.
That leaves Nikita Ulyanov, Mikhail Dorinov, and Irina Prikodko as swimmers along for the ride in London.
Russia stood 2nd in the overall medal table at the 2014 championship, but won just 6 medals in swimming. That includes 1 gold which came in the 50 back from Vlad Morozov, who isn’t on this year’s European roster but will swim in the Olympics.
The full roster of 10:
- Andrey Grechin (Altai Region) – 50 m and 100 m freestyle
- Mikhail Dorinov (Nizhny Novgorod region) – 50 m, 100 m and 200 m breaststroke
- Andrey Zhilkin (Moscow) – 200 m and 400 m complex
- Semen Makovich (Samara region) – 200 m and 400 m complex
- Alexander Osipenko (Moscow) – 200 m and 400 m complex
- Nikolay Skvortsov (Kaluga Region) – 100 m and 200 m butterfly
- Gregory Tarasevich (Omsk Region) – 50 m, 100 m and 200 m backstroke
- Nikita Ulyanov (Khanty-Ugra) – 100 m and 200 m backstroke
- Natalia Ivaneeva (Volgograd Region) – 50 m, 100 m and 200 m breaststroke
- Irina Prikhodko (Republic of Tatarstan) – 100 m and 200 m backstroke
