Stepanov, Surkova Set Russian Records, Chikunova Moves To World #1 On Day 3 In Kazan

2023 RUSSIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 16-21, 2023
• Kazan, Russia
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Live Results
• Live Stream

A pair of National Records fell during the third night of finals from the 2023 Russian Swimming Championships in Kazan, with marks falling in the men’s 800 freestyle and women’s 50 butterfly.

STEPANOV, SURKOVA SET RUSSIAN RECORDS

In the 800 free, Aleksandr Stepanov annihilated a super-suited Russian Record by more than three and a half seconds, as the 19-year-old put up a time of 7:42.47 to break the previous mark of 7:46.05 set by Yury Prilukov at the 2009 World Championships.

Stepanov, who came into the competition with a best time of 7:48.19 set at the 2022 Russian Championships, now ranks #1 in the world by nearly two seconds.

Stepanov also moves into 16th in the event all-time and eighth among Europeans.

All-Time Performers, Men’s 800 Freestyle (LCM)

1. Zhang Lin (CHN), 7:32.12 – 2009 World Championships
2. Oussama Mellouli (TUN), 7:35.27 – 2009 World Championships
3. Sun Yang (CHN), 7:38.57 – 2011 World Championships
4. Grant Hackett (AUS), 7:38.65 – 2005 World Championships
5. Ian Thorpe (AUS), 7:39.16  – 2001 World Championships
6. Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 7:39.27 – 2019 World Championships
7. Bobby Finke (USA), 7:39.36 – 2022 World Championships
8. Florian Wellbrock (GER), 7:39.63 – 2022 World Championships
9. Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR), 7:40.05 – 2022 World Championships
10. Gabriele Detti (ITA), 7:40.77 – 2017 World Championships
11. Henrik Christiansen (NOR), 7:41.28 – 2019 World Championships
12. Lukas Martens (GER), 7:41.43 – 2022 Swim Open Stockholm
13. Wojciech Wojdak (POL), 7:41.73 – 2017 World Championships
14. Ryan Cochrane (CAN), 7:41.86 – 2011 World Championships
15. David Aubry (FRA), 7:42.08 – 2019 World Championships
16. Aleksandr Stepanov (RUS), 7:42.47 – 2023 Russian Championships
17. Jack McLoughlin (AUS), 7:42.51 – 2021 Australian Olympic Trials
18. Lorenzo Galossi (ITA), 7:43.37 – 2022 European Championships
19. Michael McBroom (USA), 7:43.60 – 2013 World Championships
20. Zane Grothe (USA), 7:43.74 – 2018 Pan Pacific Championships

Kirill Martynychev, 20, was the runner-up in 7:50.06, setting a new personal best after his previous fastest was done opening up the 1500 free at the Tokyo Olympics (7:54.43).

In the women’s 50 fly, Arina Surkova reset her own Russian Record in the semi-finals, clocking 25.59 to dip under her mark of 25.61 set last year.

Surkova, 24, slots into a tie for third in the 2022-23 world rankings, with a chance to improve her position in tomorrow’s final.

CHIKUNOVA MOVES TO WORLD #1

The women’s 100 breaststroke semis saw Evgeniia Chikunova move to #1 in the world this season in a time of 1:05.67, knocking more than two-tenths off her personal best time set at the Tokyo Olympics (1:05.90).

Chikunova, who is coming off setting a PB of 30.54 in the 50 breast at the beginning of the meet, moves into #1 in the world for the season, while Belarusian Alina Zmushka qualified second overall in 1:06.44 to rank 12th in the world.

ZHIKHAREV JOINS SUB-51 CLUB IN 100 FLY

Another big-time performance on Day 3 came in the men’s 100 fly, where 23-year-old Petr Zhikharev became the second Russian swimmer under 51 seconds and the 12th European, clocking a time of 50.88.

Zhikharev’s swim crushes his previous best of 51.31, set last year, and puts him just .05 shy of the Russian Record set by Andrei Minakov at the 2019 World Championships.

Minakov was the runner-up in a time of 51.23, his fastest swim since the 2021 Olympics, to rank seventh in the world this season, while Zhikharev launches up to #3.

Mikhail Vekovishchev, the top seed out of the semis in 51.37, placed third in 51.64 in what was a blistering final that saw seven swimmers break 52 seconds.

KOLESNIKOV DOUBLES

After winning the men’s 100 back on Day 2 in a world-leading time of 52.54, Kliment Kolesnikov was back in the water on Day 3, taking on a double with semi-finals in the men’s 50 free and 50 back.

Kolesnikov kicked off the session by qualifying first into the 50 free final in a time of 22.18, with Daniil Markov (22.32) and Pavel Samusenko (22.33) close behind.

Kolesnikov has broken 22 seconds on five occasions, with his fastest coming at the 2022 Russian Championships in 21.69.

Just over an hour later, Kolesnikov claimed the top seed in the 50 back final in a time of 24.42, just ahead of Samusenko (24.52) as he moves into fourth in the world this year.

The former world record holder in the 50 back, Kolesnikov notably swam a time of 23.93 in the event at this meet last year, and will take aim at perhaps that mark, or at least current WR holder Hunter Armstrong‘s world-leading mark of 24.30, in tomorrow’s final.

OTHER EVENTS

• Belarusian Anastasiya Shkurdai dominated the women’s 200 back final by more than two and a half seconds in a time of 2:08.13, having set a new National Record earlier this month at the Belarus Open (2:06.95) to rank #3 in the world. Russia’s Renata Gainullina was the runner-up in a personal best of 2:10.72.
• The women’s 100 free final was hotly contested with the top five separated by just seven-tenths of a second, led by a pair of teenagers in Daria Trofimova (54.29) and Daria Klepikova (54.49).