Vlad Morozov Swims 21.4 in 50 Free to Close Russian Championships

2018 Russian Swimming Championships

• April 20th-25th, 2018
• Moscow, Russia
• LCM
• Meet Central
• Live Results
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• European Championships Qualifying Criteria

A busy final day at the 2018 Russian National Championships saw 10 event champions crowned, and 6 new automatic spots at the European Championships earned. Half of the 8 individual events were without the requisite standard for the European Championships, as a meet that started with record-setting swims on each of the first 4 days ended on a less-excitable note on days 5 and 6 with no further national standards being set.

One record did almost go down, in the women’s 400 free, when Veronica Andrusenko picked up a 5th event win (including relays) to go with 3 runner-up finishes at the meet: a better showing than any other athlete in the field. She won the 400 on Wednesday in 4:06.73, which was within half-a-second of Elena Sokolova’s National Record of 4:06.30. That Sokolova mark was set in July of 2008 and is the second-oldest long course Russian Record still on the books.

Vlad Morozov picked up his 4th win of the meet (which would later become 5 after the 400 medley relay), taking the men’s 50 free down in 21.47 – the only swimmer under the qualifying standard for the European Championships. That ranks him 3rd in the world this year in the event, behind only Ben Proud and Bruno Fratus.

Mirroring his near-best in the 100 free, that swim is the 4th-best of Morozov’s career and only .03 from his lifetime best (which was done at this meet lasts year).

Other Day 6 Finals Results

• 18-year old Maxim Stupin won the men’s 400 IM in 4:16.90, holding off runner-up Alexander Osiipenko (4:17.08) on the freestyle leg. That was Stupin’s lifetime best in the race by over 3 seconds. Neither swimmer qualified for Glasgow.
• Defending World Champion Evgeny Rylov won the men’s 200 back in 1:53.71, followed by Kliment Kolesnikov in 1:55.91. That’s the same finish order as the 100 back, and for Rylov completes a successful 2 gold, 1 silver return to competition after a shoulder injury.
• Victoria Andreeva won the women’s 200 IM in 2:12.15. She swam a 2:09.5 in this race in 2016, but hasn’t been able to get below 2:11 in 2017 or 2018.
• Sophia Spodarenko won the women’s 200 fly in 26.52, just out-touching Svetlana Chimrova (26.55). Neither swimmer was fast enough to qualify for the European Championships.
• After finishing as runner-up in the 200 on Tuesday, Yulia Efimova finished her meet with a 30.30 win in the 50 breaststroke. Natalia Ivaneeva finished 2nd in 30.66. Vitalina Simonova, who won the 200, was just 7th in the 50 in 31.97.
• Maria Kameneva won her 3rd individual event of the meet by taking the 100 free in 54.35. She was followed by the aforementioned Andrusenko, who took 2nd in 54.47. Neither swimmer was under the qualifying standard for the European Championships, but both are already qualified in other events, so the choice to race this 100 will come down to coaches’ decisions.
• Moscow won the men’s 400 medley relay, by almost 3 seconds, including a 53.49 Kliment Kolesnikov leadoff, a 59.12 Anton Chupkov breaststroke, and a 47.62 Vlad Morozov anchor.
• Moscow also won the women’s 400 medley relay, including a Svetlana Chimrova 57.44 butterfly split.