Kristof Milak Quick in 200 Fly During Final Morning of FINA World Junior Champs

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Kristof Milak will go for his fourth gold medal of the FINA World Junior Championships Monday evening after he qualified first in the men’s 200 fly prelims.

In five other races during the final morning of competition, Americans Zoe Bartel (women’s 200 breast) and Carson Foster (men’s 200 back) each claimed the top seeds in the respective events, while the Canadian women proceeded towards a relay sweep with a dominating effort in the women’s 400 medley relay prelims.

Read below for event-by-event full coverage of the session.

Full results

Men’s 200 Back

15-year-old American Carson Foster recorded the top qualifying time in the 200 back with the only time under 2:00. Foster came in at 1:59.44, and he will be looking for his second medal of the week after claiming silver as a part of the American men’s 800 free relay.

The Czech Republic’s Tomas Ludvik qualified second in 2:00.09, while Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez took third in 2:00.13. Gonzalez has already won gold in the 100 back and 400 IM and will likely be favored again in this final.

Russia’s Nikita Tretyakov (2:00.21), Great Britain’s Elliot Clogg (2:00.48), Romania’s Daniel Martin (2:00.64) and Great Britain’s Brodie Williams (2:00.81) all recorded times under 2:01, while Ireland’s Conor Ferguson took eighth in 2:01.56.

Kieran Smith, the American who won a silver medal in the 200 IM and was fourth in the 400 IM, ended up 11th in 2:02.72.

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Women’s 200 Breast

Zoe Bartel, fresh off a bronze medal in the 100 breast two days earlier, made it two American top seeds in two events as she led prelims of the women’s 200 breast. Bartel posted a time of 2:29.00, but she should be capable of much quicker in the final after coming in with a seed time of 2:25.46.

Great Britain’s Amy Bell touched out Bartel’s American teammate Ella Nelson for the second seed, 2:29.20 to 2:29.44, and Great Britain’s Annabel Guye-Johnson took fourth in 2:30.06.

Ireland’s Mona McSharry, the gold medalist in the 100 breast, was fifth in 2:30.07, while Canada’s Faith Knelson, the silver medalist in both the 50 and 100-meter distances, qualified seventh in 2:31.35.

The Czech Republic’s Tereza Muselova qualified sixth in 2:30.77, and Sweden’s Hannah Brunzell picked up the last qualifying spot for the final with her time of 2:31.36.

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Men’s 200 Fly

Hungary’s Kristof Milak has already won gold in the men’s 100 fly, a bronze in the 50 fly and two free relay gold medals, and he will be heavily favored to top the podium again in the 200 fly final. He qualified first in the prelims in 1:56.91, more than a second ahead of the field.

The time has not been officially approved, but Milak holds the World Junior Record in the event at 1:53.79, which ranks fourth in the world this year.

Japan’s Yuya Sakamoto qualified second for the final in 1:58.18, while the USA’s Andrew Koustik took third in 1:58.66. Others under 1:59 included Bulgaria’s Antani Ivanov (1:58.74) and Ukraine’s Denys Kesyl, and the USA’s Nick Albiero took sixth in 1:59.29.

Great Britain’s Jacob Peters (2:00.06) and Spain’s Mateos Chacon (2:00.10) also snuck into the final.

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Women’s 200 Free

Russia’s Irina Krivonogova came in with by far the quickest time in the women’s 200 free prelims, stopping the clock at 1:58.74. Germany’s Isabel Gose (1:59.65) and Hungary’s Ajna Kesely (1:59.70) took second and third, respectively, with the only other times under 2:00.

Another Russian, Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, took fourth in 2:00.00, while Canada’s Taylor Ruck was fifth in 2:00.29. Ruck has four relay gold medals already this week, but the 200 free is only her second individual event after taking silver in the 100 back on day two.

South Korea’s Easop Lee took sixth in 2:00.61, followed by Ruck’s training partner and Canadian teammate Rebecca Smith (2:00.66) and the Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova (2:00.92).

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Men’s 400 Medley Relay

Italy powered its way to a top-seeded time in the men’s 400 medley relay, with Thomas Ceccon (55.75), Alessandro Pinzuti (1:00.15), Alberto Razzetti (53.60) and Davide Nardini (49.54). Pinzuti’s breaststroke split was solid, but Nicolo Martinenghi, the World Junior Record-holder in the 100 breast at 59.01, should be capable of much better in the final.

The United States finished second with Carson Foster (55.98), Daniel Roy (1:01.78), Cody Bybee (53.23) and Patrick Callan (49.89) combining to swim a time of 3:40.88. The Americans should change out their entire team for the final, with Reece Whitley more than capable of a sub-1:00 split on the breaststroke leg.

Poland took third in 3:41.39 with Kacper Stokowski, Rafai Kusto, Jakub Kraska and Bartosz Piszczorowicz on their team.

Australia finished fourth in 3:41.43, and that team could add freestyler Elijah Winnington for the final. Russia was fifth in 3:41.60, and that effort came without the services of 200 free World Champion Ivan Girev. Other finalists included France (3:42.91), Japan (3:43.15) and Brazil (3:43.54).

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Women’s 400 Medley Relay

Canada has already won both women’s free relays and both mixed gender relays, and now that team will go for a medley relay win after qualifying first for the final by three seconds. Jade Hannah (1:00.79), Faith Knelson (1:08.87), Penny Oleksiak (58.83) and Kayla Sanchez (54.65) combined to record a time of 4:03.14.

Taylor Ruck figures to come onto this team in finals, replacing either Hannah on the backstroke leg or Sanchez on the free.

The American squad qualified second with Alex Sumner (1:01.51), Emily Weiss (1:09.55), Kelly Pash (1:00.63) and Alex Walsh (55.39). A whole new foursome will likely enter for the final, but its makeup is uncertain outside of Zoe Bartel on the breaststroke leg. Regan Smith, specifically, is the No. 1 American in both back and fly.

Great Britain’s team of Cassie Wild (1:01.84), Annabel Guye-Johnson (1:09.11), Keanna Macinnes (1:00.46) and Anna Maine (55.92) was third in 4:07.33. Emily Large, the World Junior Champion in the 200 fly, figures to come onto the squad at night.

Japan, led off by 50 back co-World Junior Champion Natsumi Sakai, was fourth in 4:07.70, and also qualifying in the top eight were Russia (4:08.07), Australia (4:10.74), Turkey (4:11.36) and Italy (4:12.41).

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Men’s 1500 Free

Australia’s Jacob Vincent posted the top time out of the early heats of the 1500 free with his 15:18.84. Heading into the top heat at night, Japan’s Tatsuki Shoike (15:26.01) and Croatia’s Marin Mogic (15:32.59) rank second and third, respectively.

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