Thursday is the 3rd day of the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, and the action was again split basically between the Russians and the Americans, though the Japanese contingent started to show some good signs of life.
Men’s 1500 Freestyle
In the first event of the evening at the World University Games American Sean Ryan of the University of Michigan provided a brilliant performance in the 1500 freestyle, winning the event in a time of 14:57.33, breaking the 15 minute barrier for the first time in his swimming career. Ryan’s time currently ranks him fifth in the world and is a lifetime best by four seconds. He becomes the third American this year to go under 15 minutes.
Kohei Yamamoto of Japan finished second in a season’s best time by more than five seconds posting a 15:00.15, which currently ranks tenth in the world. Earlier in the meet Yamamoto finished second to Ryan Napoleon in the 400 freestyle recording a time of 3:49.03.
Sergii Frolov of the Ukraine finished third in a time of 15:02.63, which is also a season’s best for Frolov who posted a 15:06.93 at the Mare Nostrum meet in Barcelona earlier this month.
Men’s 200 freestyle
Russians Danila Izotov and Nikita Lobintsev are used to tight head to head battles and that is exactly what happened in the men’s 200 freestyle. Lobintsev took the first 100 meters out in a time of 51.67 34 one-hundredths of a second ahead of Izotov. Izotov had an incredible surge of speed in the third 50 and took over the lead, which he never gave up winning the event in a new games record time of 1:45.48. Izotov’s winning time also ties Yannick Agnel for the second fastest time in the world and with both Agnel and Sun Yang bypassing the event at the world championships, Izotov will be the favourite in Barcelona.
Lobinstev finished second in a time of 1:46.30, which is a season’s best and currently ranks tenth in the world this year. Pawel Korzeniowski of Poland finished third in a time of 1:46.91.
All three men were under American Adam Ritter’s World University Games record time of 1:47.42.
Women’s 100 breaststroke
Yulia Efimova dominated the women’s 100 breaststroke winning the event in a time of 1:05.48. Efimova, who finished seventh in the 100 breaststroke in London, now has the second fastest 100 breaststroke time in the world with only Ruta Meilutyte having gone faster in Monaco in early June. Efimova’s time bettered Italian Chiara Boggiato’s the games record of 1:07.14 and was just off her own Russian national record of 1:05.41 which was set in the shiny suit era.
Fiona Doyle of Ireland finished second in a time of 1:07.66 breaking her own Irish national record of 1:08.23 which she set in April at the Irish National Championships. Doyle, who trains at the University of Calgary has had an incredible year where she won the 100 breaststroke at the Canadian University Championships and has improved her lifetime best long course time by almost a second and a half.
American Laura Sogar finished third in a time of 1:07.78. The University of Texas swimmer, who finished fifth at the US World Championship Trials, was just off her season’s best of 1:07.57, which she recorded in May at the Charlotte Grand Prix.
Women’s 100 freestyle
Aleksandra Herasimenia of Belarus took the women’s 100 freestyle in a time of 53.50. Herasimenia, who won the 50 butterfly on the second evening of the competition, posted the third fastest time in the world this year with only Australian Cate Campbell (52.83) and American Missy Franklin (53.43) having gone faster. Her time was also a new games record breaking Chinese swimmer Tang Yi’s record of 54.24.
Veronika Popova of Russia finished second in a time of 54.12, breaking her own national record of 54.22, which she set in 2011.
American Megan Romano, who swam an amazing 52.90 anchoring the 4 x 100 freestyle relay on the first night of the competition, finished third in a time of 54.45. Though a 54.4 by no means is a bad time, it again reaffirms what American fans know: there is such a thing as a relay star.
Canada’s Sandrine Mainville put in another best time of 54.87 in the final, extending her lead as the fastest Canadian in the event this year.
Russia’s Margarita Nesterova was 5th in 55.01, and Britain’s Rebecca Turner was 7th in 55.46. Her countrymate Caitlin McClatchey, who was an Olympic finalist in the 200, missed out on the finals here.
Men’s 200 IM
After slow-playing the first two rounds, Australia’s Justin James swooped in, knocked a second off of his lifetime best, and won the men’s 200 IM in 1:58.35. He’s very much a Chase-Kalisz type of swimmer with a big-back half, only he’s got a little more to give on his backstroke leg.
Japan’s Hiromasa Fujimori was 2nd in 1:58.76, and his countrymate Takahiro Tsutsumi was 3rd in 1:59.54. All of a sudden in Japan, these IM races have become somewhat of a focus, and there’s a lot of great new talent rolling through the ranks.
Meanwhile, American Kyle Whitaker, who was the fastest swimmer in the prelims of this race, wound up 4th in 2:00.42. That was his slowest swim of the three rounds of this race, which is not a surprise given that it was swum 15 minutes after the 200 fly semi-final. He ended up making the final in that 200 fly, but still has little chance of medaling, and may have sacrificed one in this 200 IM in its favor.
Dmitry Zhilin was 5th in 1:01.13, and Australian Daniel Lester was 6th in 2:01.20.
Full, live meet results available here.
Semi-Finals
|
Rank
|
Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Russia | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 2 | Australia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 3 | Belarus | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Japan | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | United States | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| 6 | Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 7 | Canada | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 8 | Ireland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| 10 | Poland | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Total |
Day 3 evening session
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ruXjmSlejI
Typical…………this article is mainly about Sean Ryan going sub-15 in the 1500 at WUGS (which is HUGE) and instead turns into a discourse all about Megan Romano, relays AND SPRINTERS!!!!!!
Kudos to Jeff Grace for even reporting on this event…..he apparently doesn’t know that USA Swimming (and apparently most of the rest of the world too, as evidenced by the comments section) doesn’t care about distance events or distance swimmers.
GREAT JOB SEAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That’s okay, some of us still appreciate REAL swimmers, and of course that means those that swim the distance events!
Sorry but this article is about the day 3 of the world university games. Not just the men’s 1500 free. And I appreciate the performance of Mr Ryan like you. When you go under 15 minutes it’s always a great accomplishment. But he isn’t a real swimmer when the sprinters are false swimmers. All are swimmers.
And about the men’s 1500 free, you can watch the race below.
I can’t really imagine what they can make in two years in the same city, are they able to rank first in the medal table? I do think so
Moscow 2013 in track and field, Sochi 2014 at the winter olympic games and Kazan 2015 in swimming. It’s a little scary!
I fear you’re not a Russian fan Bobo. Isn’t it?
It’s not a question of fan or not. I’m just not naive.
No, Russia will never top USA is swimming medal tabel.
I still wonder why Kyle Whitaker doesn’t confirm his junior performances full of promises.
In 2009 at the US junior nationals there are 2 big stars who destroy the competition. Missy Franklin on the women’s side and Kyle Whitaker on the men’s side. One is now the best female swimmer in the world while the other is a good NCAA swimmer. At this meet Kyle has won 5 gold medals! The 200 fly in 1.56.95. The 400 IM in 4.17.95. The 100 fly in 53.31. The 200 free in 1.49.87. And the 200 IM in 2.00.07. Perhaps the magical suits have helped him more than most of the others. I don’t know. Perhaps he has had injuries. I don’t… Read more »
Apples an oranges. And the suit.
And I have just realized he has swum today the 200 fly semi-finals a few minutes before his 200 IM final. Wow! What a great decision which has ruined his final! It’s crazy to see so many guys who believe they are Michael Phelps.
I don’t think it’s a mystery. They should throw 2009, and for some, 2008, out when comparing and assessing past performances in relation to 2013. The effect of techsuits on different swimmers was just too variable those years.
Dr. Josh White has done an amazing job with the men of Michigan! Can’t wait to see how his distance swimmers do at Worlds as well! What a great coach – he deserves huge props. Go Blue!
“with both Agnel and Sun Yang bypassing the event at the world championships, Izotov will be the favourite in Barcelona.” I thought Agnel had said he would swim it? Has this still not been confirmed?
About Agnel, we are still waiting for the official announcement of his presence in the 200 free. He must still think. But it looks on the good way. The French national director looked confident. Perhaps he keeps the secret until the last moment. He knows a sub 1.45 will be enough to win so I think he isn’t very worried. It would be a pity if he didn’t swim it. He has a so big margin over the others.
Anyway, without Agnel; I don’t see Izotov as the big favorite. He is in the same category as Fraser-Holmes or Lochte.
I don’t think just sub-1:45 will be enough to win it, one or more will bust out in the big race and go a bit faster than that.
sub 1:45 is 1;44
So you think a 1:44.00 will not win in Barcelona?
Who can swim 1:43+ in Barcelona aside from Agnel?
The Russians are on fire. Both Izotov and Efimova took a second off their textile bests!
It may be safe to say that Megan Romano is the female version of Frederic Bousouet:
Extremely fast in relay, but their individual swims are just mediocre
Bousquet has won some medals on individuals. I wouldn’t say Miss Romano is mediocre on individual. She has won the 200 free in NCAA last year and she has swum 53.90 in Indianapolis in the 200 free. But yes it’s a little disappointing.
Sorry. 53.90 in the 100 free.
Always trolling for a response, aren’t you? hahaha… I would have been thrilled to have the swimming career of either.
I always considered it a badge of honor when you can outperform your individual results on a relay.
She looks transcended in the relays. She’s a perfect team player.
No one said either doesn;t gave great swimming career so far, it’s just that both Romano and Bousquet turn into different animals when they swim relays.
Aswimfan
I think romano looks more like a Lezak than a Bousquet..
Yes, lezak is maybe a more apt comparison.
Bousquet was an individual WR holder. He has had two really great relay swims, that’s it.
Romano performs a lot better on relays, but still has an NCAA record in the 200 Free. I’d say she’s much much more of a relay swimmer than Fred was. Remember, when Fred went 18.7, for some reason, he went 2nd on the 200 FRR at night, and only swim 18.4-18.5–something really slow for him. I’m pretty sure CAL even beat them that year.
I’m hoping Romano has resumed some training during WUGs to prepare for Worlds. Hopefully she’ll have an effective second taper for Worlds and do great things on the relay.