Minna Atherton Dashes to New Meet Record in Prelims of 50 Back at 2015 FINA World Junior Championships

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Photo Courtesy: Singapore Swimming Federation

Australia’s Minna Atherton dashed to a quick finish in the women’s 50-meter back, posting a qualifying time of 28.00. Atherton’s time not only makes her the top qualifier for tonight’s semi-finals, but is a new championship meet record, replacing Gabrielle Fa’Amausili’s 2013 time of 28.14.

Fa’Amausili of New Zealand grabbed the second place seed, and also bettered upon her record. The New Zealander touched the wall with a final time of 28.09, also under the championship meet record.

Danielle Hanus of Canada claimed the third place seed with a time of 28.32, bettering upon her seed time of a 28.51 by .19 seconds.

Russia’s Irina Prikhodko turned in a time of 28.71 to grab the fourth place seed and be the last person under the 29-second mark.

Claire Adams of the USA, Caroline Pilhatsch of Austria, and Bobbi Gichard of New Zealand kept it close in heat five, finishing within .08 seconds of one another. Adams won out getting her hand on the wall .01 seconds ahead of Pilhatsch to claim fifth with a time of 29.04. Pilhatsch finished sixth in prelims with a time of 29.05, while Richard settled for the seventh place seed and a time of 29.12.

Japan’s Natsumi Sakai rounded out the top eight with a final time of 29.15.

Germany’s Laure Riedemann (29.16), Russia’s Polina Egorova (29.23), the Czech Republic’s Tereza Grusova (29.28), South Africa’s Mariella Venter (29.43), Kazakhstan’s Yekaterina Dymchenko (29.47), Canada’s Rebecca Smith (29.52), China’s Liu Yaxin (29.59) round out the top sixteen semi-finals qualifiers.

Maryna Kolesnykova of Ukraine and Grace Ariola of the USA tied for the sixteenth spot at 29.68 and will therefore have to time trial the event.

Schedule of Events:

2015 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships: Live Results – Results

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