Two More Relay “World Records” Close European Short Course Championships

HERNING, Denmark, December 15. IN one of the many 200 short course relays that will take some time to recalibrate the world record and the world best, Russia produced the third world record progression of the day in the men’s 200 freestyle relay at the European Short Course Championships.

Russia’s Vlad Morozov (20.87), Sergey Fesikov (20.57), Evgeny Lagunov (21.03) and Nikita Konovalov (20.89) turned in a 1:23.36 to win the finale. That swim blasted the world record of 1:25.52 set by Belgium this morning in prelims, but is well off the European and meet record of 1:20.77 set by France in 2008. That’s Morozov’s seventh gold medal of the meet.

Again, as a refresher, FINA only officially recognized the 200 distance relays as a world record in September, but failed to make any particular distinction on what would be the world record line. So, the first team to swim the event legally finished with a world record, and we would then begin to see a truckload of progressions until the standing world best and the world record are unified. The mixed relays are nearly recalibrated, while the men’s and women’s 200 relays still have some time to go.

Italy’s Luca Dotto, Federico Bocchia, Filippo Magnini and Marco Orsi took second in 1:24.37, while Belgium’s Jasper Aerents, Pieter Timmers, Francois Heersbrandt and Yoris Grandjean took third in 1:24.86.

France (1:25.96), Croatia (1:26.64), Lithuania (1;27.18), Finland (1:27.27), Turkey (1:28.03) and Israel (1:28.59) also have legal swims in the finale, while Sweden drew a disqualification.

Russia won a back-and-forth battle with Denmark as the Russians captured the women’s 200 medley relay title at the touch, along with a standing world record in the sprint medley relay.

Russia’s Daria Ustinova (27.57), Yuliya Efimova (28.30), Svetlana Chimrova (25.15) and Rozaliya Nasretdinova (23.65) finished the finale with a 1:44.67, while Denmark’s Mie Nielsen (26.47), Rikke Moeller Pedersen (29.73), Jeanette Ottesen (24.59) and Pernille Blume (24.02) managed to take second in 1:44.81.

Both times best the official world record of 1:45.92 clocked by Denmark this morning, but were well off The Netherlands’ meet and European mark of 1:42.69 from 2009. See above in the men’s 200 free relay for more explanation on FINA’s certification process.

Sweden’s Michelle Coleman, Jennie Johansson, Sarah Sjostrom and Louise Hansson moved into third with a 1:46.08 after Poland drew a disqualification for a relay takeover exchange issue between Dominika Sztandera and Anna Dowgiert.

Great Britain (1:46.56), Czech Republic (1:47.18), Germany (1:47.69), France (1:48.28), Finland (1:49.24) and Slovakia (1:50.08) also competed in the finale.

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