Nicolo Martinenghi Sets 50 Breast CR During Day 5 Prelims at World Jr Champs

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The fifth morning of preliminary competition at the FINA World Junior Championships in Indianapolis saw Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi lower his own championship record in the prelims of the men’s 50 breast, while Japan’s Rikako Ikee qualified for the semis in two separate events.

Multiple World Junior Records could fall in the evening finals, and read about some of those chances in the specific event sections below.

Full results

Men’s 100 Free

Brazil’s Breno Correia topped prelims of the men’s 100 free with his 49.79 in the final heat, while Spain’s Alex Ramos took second in 49.80. Also breaking 50 were Japan’s Hayata Ito and Poland’s Bartosz Piszczorowicz, who tied for third in 49.96.

Hours after anchoring his team to a stunning win in the 800 free relay, Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth qualified fifth in 50.02, with Venezuela’s Alberto Mestre (50.14), France’s Maxime Grousset (50.16) and Great Britain’s Elliot Clogg (50.18) rounding out the top eight.

The USA’s Daniel Krueger qualified ninth for semis in 50.22, one spot ahead of 200 free World Junior Champion Ivan Girev of Russia (50.39). Krueger’s American teammate Mattheew Willlenbring tied for 13th in 50.48, while Canada’s Rusian Gaziev, a two-time gold medalist this week on mixed relays, was the last man in at 50.50.

men-100-free

Women’s 100 Fly

Japan’s Rikako Ikee qualified first in the women’s 100 fly in her first of two events on the morning. She posted a 58.93 before getting out to prepare for her swim in the 50 free prelims. Ikee, the 50 fly gold medalist already in Indianapolis, finished six hundredths ahead of Canada’s Rebecca Smith (58.93).

Great Britain’s Emily Large, the 200 fly gold medalist, took third in 59.25, while 200 fly silver medalist Suzuka Haswgawa of Japan was fifth in 59.61. Splitting the difference was 100 and 200 back champion Regan Smith, who will continue her busy week with a 100 fly semi-50 back final double in the evening session.

Canada’s Mabel Zavaros (59.68) and Sweden’s Sara Junevik (59.90) rounded out the list of swimmers breaking the 1:00-barrier. Russia’s Polina Egorova took eighth in 1:00.26.

Spain’s Ana Lamberto took 16th at 1:01.41 to round out the semi-finalists. Emma Carlton of the USA missed out by two spots, finishing in 1:01.50.

women-100-fly

Men’s 400 IM

Already a silver medalist in the men’s 200 IM, the United States’ Kieran Smith took the top seed in the men’s 400 IM, touching in a final time of 4:20.46. He was followed closely by Hungary’s Marton Barta, who cruised home to a final time of 4:20.57, and just two hundredths back was Great Britain’s Nathan Hughes (4:20.59).

Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez, already a gold medalist in the 100 back and silver medalist in the 100 back, took fourth in 4:21.04, and a second Hungarian made the final as Balazs Hollo qualified fifth in 4:21.35. Great Britain’s Brodie Williams (4:21.59), Poland’s Marcel Wagrowski (4:22.68) and Argentina’s Santiago Berfliaffa (4:23.02) also made it back.

Eric Knowles, the other American in the race, ended up 10th at 4:23.37.

men-400-im

Women’s 50 Free

The United States’ Grace Ariola continued her busy schedule of events with the 50 free prelims, and she qualified first for semi-finals in 25.15. After three straight sessions of only one race each, Ariola’s schedule tightens up again in finals, as she should swim in the 50 free semis, 50 back final and then the 400 free relay final in the span of about 45 minutes.

Japan’s Rikako Ikee returned to the pool after qualifying first in the 100 fly prelims, and Ikee qualified second for the semis in 25.37, two hundredths ahead of Germany’s Angelina Kohler (25.37).

Canada’s Kayla Sanchez, already the silver medalist in the 200 IM and bronze medalist in the 100 free, was fourth in 25.44, followed by Denmark’s Julie Jensen (25.47) and the Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova (25.56).

100 free World Junior Champion Freya Anderson took seventh for Great Britain in 25.59, and rounding out the top ten qualifiers were Japan’s Sayuki Ouchi (25.63), Slovenia’s Neza Klancar (25.79) and the USA’s Kate Douglass (25.81).

The last swimmer in was Germany’s Isabel Gose at 26.15.

women-50-free

Men’s 50 Breast

Italy’s Nicolo Martinenghi broke the championship record in prelims, touching in 27.21 to lower the previous mark of 27.48 that he set on the way out in the 100 breast earlier in the week.

Martinenghi’s Italian teammate Alessandro Pinzuti qualified second in 27.48, and third went to the USA’s Michael Andrew in 27.51. The 50 breast will be the toughest of the four stroke 50s for Andrew to win, given the presence of Martinenghi. He has already won gold in the 50 free and 50 back, and he is heavily favored in the upcoming 50 fly final.

Russia’s Vladislav Gerasimenko took third in 27.91, while the USA’s Reece Whitley, bidding to win a medal in all three breaststroke events, was fifth in 28.28.

Others finishing in the top eight were Germany’s Philipp Brandt (28.29), South Africa’s Michael Houlie (28.32) and Canada’s Gave Mastromatteo (28.35). Qualifying 16th for the final spot into the semis was Tunisia’s Adnan Beji (28.86).

men-50-breast

Women’s 400 Free Relay

Canada, bidding for its fourth win in a women’s or mixed relay in four tries, finished on top of this relay in prelims in 3:42.74 with Faith Knelson (57.00), Taylor Ruck (54.98), Penny Oleksiak (55.71) and Kayla Sanchez (55.05).

But with Ruck and Oleksiak capable of 52-second legs and Rebecca Smith set to replace Knelson in the final, Canada should crush the World Junior Record of 3:39.87.

The American team of Julia Cook (55.99), Kate Douglass (56.45), Alex Walsh (55.14) and Kelly Pash (55.66) qualified second in 3:43.24. It appears that Cook and Walsh will join Grace Ariola and Lucie Nordmann on the relay in finals.

Russia’s Katarina Milutinovich, Polina Nevmovenko, Polina Osipenko and Irina Krivonogova took third in 3:34.40. Also making the final were Australia (3:44.17), Japan (3:45.83), Germany (3:46.10), Brazil (3:49.20) and South Africa (3:55.55).

women-400-free-relay

Women’s 1500 Free

Australia’s Lani Pallister recorded the top time in the slower heats of the women’s mile, checking in at 16:32.59. Next up were Spain’s Andrea Galisteo (16:44.98) and Slovenia’s Katja Fain (16:48.40).

women-1500-free

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use