European Championships Day 4 Finals: Anton Chupkov Sizzles in 200 Breast; Kolesnikov Breaks Another WJR

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Photo Courtesy: SIPA USA

During the fourth finals session of the 2018 European Championships, Russia’s Anton Chupkov nearly broke the world record in the men’s 200 breast, only to fall 13-hundredths short with the second-fastest time in history.

Additionally, Chupkov’s countryman Kliment Kolesnikov took down a world junior record in the men’s 100 back and then swam quicker leading off the mixed 4×100 medley relay. Great Britain ended up setting a European record in that mixed medley relay.

Read below for an event-by-event recap of the session.

FULL RESULTS

Women’s 200 Fly FINAL

Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas was behind the leaders for the first 150 meters in the women’s 200 fly final, but she stormed home in 32.92 over the final 50 meters to come into the wall first at 2:07.13. That swim moved Kapas into No. 5 in the world rankings and was a nice boune-back effort for the 25-year-old after a surprising and disappointing fifth-place finish in the 800 free.

Russia’s Svetlana Chimrova finished hard to sneak into second, just ahead of Great Britain’s Alys Thomas. Chimrova swam a time of 2:07.33 to rank eighth in the world, while Thomas, the top-ranked swimmer in the world at 2:05.45, came in at 2:07.42.

Germany’s Franziska Hentke, the top seed coming out of semi-finals, faded to fourth in 2:07.75.

Also in the final were Portugal’s Ana Catarina Monteiro (2:08.03), Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi (2:08.69) and Italians Ilaria Cusinato (2:08.91) and Alessia Polieri (2:09.25).

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Men’s 100 Back FINAL

After setting a world record two days earlier in the 50 back final, Russian teenager Kliment Kolesnikov won his second individual title and third overall title this week in the men’s 100 back. Kolesnikov went out quickly and held off countryman Evgeny Rylov to take the win in 52.53.

Kolesnikov broke his own world junior record of 52.95 set in the semi-finals. He also improved to No. 2 in the world for 2018, just behind Ryan Murphy’s 52.51 from U.S. Nationals last week and just ahead of Matt Grevers’ 52.55.

Rylov, seemingly out of the race with 15 meters to go, closed hard to pick up a silver medal. Rylov, the reigning World champion in the 200 back and the favorite in that event this week, touched in 52.74. Finishing well back for bronze was Greece’s Apostolos Christou in 53.72.

Romania’s Robert Glinta finished fourth in 53.81, and Italians Thomas Ceccon and Simone Sabbioni tied for fifth in 53.85. Germans Christian Diener (53.92) and Jan-Philip Glania (54.35) finished seventh and eighth, respectively.

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Women’s 100 Back Semi-Finals

The semi-finals of the women’s 100 back did not produce any lightning-quick times, but a tightly-bunched field should produce an exciting final. Russia’s Anastasia Fesikova, the silver medalist in the 50 back, claimed the top seed in 59.38, three tenths ahead of Hungarian Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu (59.67). The 100 back is Hosszu’s first individual swim of the meet.

Italy’s Carlotta Zovkova took third in 59.88, one hundredth ahead of Denmark’s Mie Nielsen (59.89). Italy’s Margherita Panziera (59.90) and Great Britain’s Georgia Davies (59.97) also broke 1:00, and the last two finalists were Hungary’s Katalin Burian (1:00.01) and the Netherlands’ Kira Toussaint (1:00.02).

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Men’s 200 Free Semi-Finals

Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys crushed the field in the semi-finals of the men’s 200 free, putting up a time of 1:45.33. That was just off the top time in the world, the 1:45.12 Rapsys swam this year at the Stockholm Open.

Great Britain’s James Guy, the 2015 World champion in the 200 free, qualified second in 1:46.44, followed by Russia’s Mikhail Dovgalyuk (1:46.69). Another Russian, Mikhail Vekovishchev, tied with Italy’s Felippo Megli for fifth in 1:46.70. Four of the top five qualifiers — all but Vekovishchev — swam in the second semi-final heat.

Also making the final were Germany’s Jacob Heidtmann (1:46.83), Serbia’s Velimir Stjepanovic (1:46.84) and Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (1:46.97).

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Women’s 200 Breast Semi-Finals

Swimming in lane two in the second semi-final of the women’s 200 breast, Russia’s Yulia Efimova used her signature closing speed to take the top spot at 2:23.49. Efimova, the reigning World champion and top-ranked swimmer in the world at 2:20.72, finished nine tenths ahead of the runner-up, Great Britain’s Molly Renshaw (2:24.39).

Denmark’s Rikke Moeller Pederson, the world record-holder, qualified third in 2:24.56, just ahead of Spain’s Marina Garcia Urzainqui (2:24.67) and Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse (2:25.76). Those top five swimmers all swam in the second semi-final.

Spain’s Jessica Vall Montero won semi-final No. 1 in 2:25.94, ahead of Great Britain’s Chloe Tutton (2:26.62) and Germany’s Jessica Steiger (2:26.84). All three advanced to the final.

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Men’s 50 Fly Semi-Finals

Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov, who set a world record in the 50 fly last month with a 22.27, qualified first for the final of that event with a 22.85. He finished 16-hundredths ahead of last year’s World champion in the event, Great Britain’s Ben Proud, who came in at 23.01.

Greece’s Kristian Gkolomeev qualified third in 23.22, and fourth was Germany’s Damian Wierling (23.34). Poland’s Konrad Czerniak and Italy’s Andrea Vergani tied for fifth in 23.37, ahead of the Netherlands’ Nyls Jan Korstanje (23.38) and Russia’s Oleg Kostin (23.41).

Hungarian legend Laszlo Cseh finished ninth at 23.48, just missing the final. Having yet to qualify for a final all week, Cseh will have one final chance in the 100 fly.

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Women’s 200 Free FINAL

France’s Charlotte Bonnet never gave anyone else a chance in the women’s 200 free final, taking a half-second lead after the first 50 meters and extending it from there. Bonnet ended up winning by 1.77 seconds with a time of 1:54.95.

Bonnet broke Sarah Sjostrom’s championship record of 1:55.30 from 2016, and she moved into fourth in the world this year behind the trio of Katie LedeckyTaylor Ruck and Ariarne Titmus.

The Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk took the silver medal in 1:56.72. Heemskerk was clearly in second for most of the race, only to have to work hard down the stretch to hold off Russia’s Anastasia Guzhenkova. Guzhenkova ended up with bronze in 1:56.77.

Finishing well back in third was Great Britain’s Eleanor Faulkner in 1:58.26, followed by Germany’s Isabel Marie Gose (1:58.42), Russia’s Valeriia Salamatina (1:58.42), Great Britain’s Holly Hibbott (1:58.64) and Spain’s Melanie Costa Schmid (1:58.84).

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Men’s 200 Breast FINAL

Russia’s Anton Chupkov made a run at the world record in the men’s 200 breast final, and he ended up falling just 13-hundredths short of Ippei Watanabe’s world record of 2:06.67. Chupkov finished in 2:06.80, winning the European title by more than a second and a half, and he broke his own European record of 2:06.96, set on his way to gold at last year’s World Championships.

Swimming his traditional style, Chupkov was in fifth place at the halfway mark, only to put up sterling splits of 32.53 and 31.89 on the last two lengths to pull away from the field.

As Chupkov swam away from the field, Great Britain’s James Wilby pulled just ahead of the rest of the field to take the silver medal in 2:08.39. Italy’s Luca Pizzini took bronze in 2:08.54, just one-hundredth ahead of Britain’s Ross Murdoch (2:08.55).

Russia’s Kirill Prigoda took fifth in 2:08.77, almost a second ahead of Lithuania’s Andrius Sidlauskas (2:09.71). The rest of the field included the Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga (2:09.87) and Sweden’s Erik Persson (2:10.25).

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Men’s 200 IM FINAL

Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches took over the lead on the breaststroke leg and held on to take the European title in the men’s 200 IM. Desplanches put up a time of 1:57.04, improving by a tick his season-best time of 1:57.06. Desplanches remains the sixth-fastest swimmer in the world this year.

Germany’s Philip Heintz finished second in 1:57.83, well off his fourth-ranked season best of 1:56.67. Great Britain’s Max Litchfield took bronze in 1:57.96.

Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez finished fourth in 1:58.77, and then Great Britain’s Mark Szaranek and Greece’s Andreas Vazaios tied for fifth in 1:58.88.Portugla’s Alexis Manacas Santos took seventh in 1:59.99, and Russia’s Semen Makovich finished eighth in 2:00.07.

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Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay FINAL

In an intriguing showdown between Great Britain and Russia in the mixed 4×100 medley relay, the countries put swimmers of opposite genders on each stroke. Georgia Davies led off in 59.12, leaving her more than six seconds behind Kliment Kolesnikov, only for Adam Peaty to out-split Yulia Efimova by almost eight seconds, 57.27 to 1:05.07.

James Guy extended the British lead with a 50.96 fly split, leaving it up to 17-year-old Freya Anderson to hold off Russian anchor Vladimir Morozov, the top-ranked swimmer in the world this year in the 100 free. Anderson ended up coming through with a 52.83 split, and Britain finished in 3:40.18, the second-fastest time in history and under the previous European record of 3:41.56 from last year’s World Championships.

Russia’s Kolesnikov, Efimova, Svetlana Chimrova and Morozov finished second in 3:42.71. Notably, Kolesnikov led off in 52.51, under his 100 back world junior record of 52.53 set in the individual final earlier in the night and the same time as Ryan Murphy’s world-leading mark. However, the time will not count since it was set in a mixed-gender event.

Italy’s team of Margherita PanzieraFabio ScozzoliElena Di Liddo and Alessandro Miressi took bronze in 3:44.85.

The Netherlands finished fourth in 3:45.57, beating out teams from Germany (3:45.82), Poland (3:47.72), Switzerland (3:48.26) and Sweden (3:48.53).

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