Uzbek Mustafin Hits Sub-Minute 100 Breast, Tursunov 48.36 100 Free

2020 UZBEKISTAN OPEN SWIMMING CUP

• November 2020
• Tashkent, Uzbekistan
• LCM (50m)
• Results

The Uzbekistan Open Swimming Cup took place late last month, with several national records biting the dust before all was said and done. But the records were taken down not only by host nation Uzbekistan, but visiting Czech swimmers also did some major damage over the course of the competition.

Among the record-breakers was Khurshidjon Tursunov, the man who punched a new lifetime best en route to winning the men’s 100m free. Stopping the clock in a big-time 48.36, Tursunov checked in with a new Uzbek national standard but also dipped under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 48.57 needed for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

Splitting 23.28/25.08, Tursunov’s time from this Open final shaved .11 off of his own previous NR of 48.47 from the morning heats. Both times outperformed the 49.95 he produced in 2016, meaning his performances here marked his first outings under the 49-second mark.

Tursunov now ranks as the 6th fastest swimmer in the world so far this long course season.

For an additional accolade, Tursunov’s time checks him in as Asia’s 7th fastest performer all-time in the LCM 100 freestyle event.

Vladislav Mustafin also nailed a Tokyo-worthy time, competing in a single-swimmer time trial of the men’s 100m breaststroke. Opening in a speedy 27.79 and closing in 32.10, Mustafin’s final time of 59.89 sneaked under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 59.93 needed for the postponed Olympic Games.

Additionally, Mustafin’s outing here represented his first time ever under the minute mark (or any Uzbek swimmer’s venture under 1:00, for that matter).

In the formal final of the event at this Open, Mustafin settled for bronze with a time of 1:02.68. His personal best entering the meet was represented by the 1:00.61 posted in 2016. As such, the 25-year-old broke new ground with his sub-minute result here, ranking him just inside the top 20 performers in the world this season.

Finally on the men’s side, the combination of Tursunov, Muxamedjan Abdijalilov, Oybekjon Khujeav, and Axmatjon Umurov collectively clocked a new national record in the men’400m free relay. The foursome powered its way to the wall in a final time of 3:19.75, composed of the following splits:

• Tursunov – 48.87
• Abdijalilov – 50.30
• Khujaev – 50.34
• Umurov – 50.24

Moving on to the women’s races, host nation swimmer Natalya Kritinina did some record-setting damage with the Uzbek ace firing off new marks in the 50m and 100m freestyle events.

First in the splash n’ dash, the 19-year-old produced a time of 25.14 in the morning heats to claim the top seed. That hacked her previous PB of 26.47 to bits, dropping well over a second to land lane 4 and etch her name into the Uzbek record books.

However, Kritinina wound up finishing 2nd in the final, not able to replicate the effort. She hit the wall in 25.93, still her 2nd best time ever, to earn runner-up status behind winner Anna Kolarova. Kolarova of the Czech Republic took the gold in 25.90.

Kritinina’s next victim was the 100m free, where the Rsdyushor Team member produced a time of 56.83. That was good enough for bronze, placing behind winner Barbora Seemanova of the Czech Republic and her teammate Kolorova. The women hit times of 54.46 and 56.63, respectively.

Seemanova produced two national records in her own right for her Czech nation, with the marks coming in the 200m and 400m freestyle events. Her 200m free outing of 1:56.96 was enough to dip under the FINA ‘A’ time for Tokyo, qualifying the 20-year-old for her 2nd Olympic Games.

Prior to this meet, Seemanova had never before been under 1:57, owning the previous Czech national standard at 1:57.16 from last year’s World Championships. There in Gwangju, Seemanova placed 9th in the event, just missing out on the final.

Her performance here, however, ranks her as the 4th fastest performer in the world this season.

The 400m free was the other event which saw Seemanova make a new record here at this Open Cup, with the teen logging a time of 4:08.89. This, too, was a monumental swim, as the Czech had never been under 4:09 prior to this swim. She owned the previous national mark at the 4:09.73 posted once again last year at Worlds, rendering her Gwangju’s 13th place finisher.

Her 4:08.89 now checks her in as the world’s 14th fastest 400m freestyle this season.

Splits for Seemanova’s new records here are as follows:

200 free of 1:56.96 – 57.10/1:00.18

400 free of 4:08.89 – 58.90/1:02.82/1:03.83/1:03.34

Finally, Czech swimmer Kristyna Horska produced a new national record en route to taking the women’s 200m breast. Horska earned the top time of 2:25.24 to dip under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 2:25.52 needed for Tokyo.

Horska split 1:10.18/1:15.06 to get under the previous Czech standard of 2:25.26 Martina Moravcikova put on the books in 2017.