2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships: Vazquez Ruiz, US Men Break World Junior Records on Night One

Carson Foster anchored the US to gold in the men's 4x100 free relay. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

World Junior Swimming Championships (Alba Vazquez Ruiz, USA men’s 4x100m free quartet set World Junior Records)

Budapest, Day 1 Finals

The 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships got off to a sizzling start in Budapest, Hungary, today, a 3:46 championship record over 400m freestyle from Hungary’s Gabor Zombori followed by a World Junior record of 4:38 in the 400m medley form Spain’s Alba Vazquez Ruiz – and then a 3:15.80 world junior record in the 4x100m freestyle courtesy of the USA quartet of Jake Magahey (49.51), Luca Urlando (48.73), Adam Chaney (48.64) and Carson Foster (48.92).

FINA started recognizing world junior records April 1, 2014 so only the times after that date count as official world junior records. As such, the 4:28 then world senior record at which the 16-year-old Ye Shiwen claimed Olympic gold for China at London 2012 is the swiftest junior swim ever but does not count for the record.

Many of the world’s best 18 and under swimmers are in attendance as they are using these championships as a stepping stone for future success.

Links:

The Wrap

Men’s 400 Free

World Junior Record: 3:44.60, Mack Horton, AUS (2014)
Championships Record: ~~3:46.97, Gabor Zombori, HUN (2019)~~

Hungary’s Gabor Zombori got the night started off with a new championship record on Tuesday night at the World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest with a 3:46.06 to give the Budapest crowd something to cheer about. Zombori broke the meet record this morning that belonged to 2016 Olympic Champion Mack Horton at 3:47.1 as Zombori lowered it even more in the final to move up to 12th in the world for 2019 and is also the fastest Hungarian this year. Horton still holds the world junior record at 3:44.60.

Zombori went out hard to the excitement of the Hungarian crowd but got some pressure on the third 100 from Australia’s Thomas Neill, who wound up second at 3:46.27. Neill was also under the old meet record as he moved up to 13th in the world for this year and is also the fourth fastest Australian as the men from down under are starting to bring back their dominance in the 400 and 1500 free events with the likes of Horton, Jack McLoughlin and Elijah Winnington.

Russia’s Aleksandr Egorov used a strong final 100 at 55.99 to win the bronze medal at 3:47.36 to run down American Jake Mitchell (3:47.95), who is now the second fastest American this year. Egorov improved on his season best as he was a 3:48 at the European Juniors earlier in the summer where he won the silver medal.

Russia’s Nikita Danilov (3:49.66), Greece’s Konstantinos Englezakis (3:50.36), Bulgaria’s Yordan Yanchev (3:50.41) and USA’s Jake Magahey (3:51.19) also swam in the final.

1	ZOMBORI	Gabor	HUN	3:46.06	CR
2	NEILL	Thomas	AUS	3:46.27
3	EGOROV	Aleksandr	RUS	3:47.36
4	MITCHELL	Jake	USA	3:47.95
5	DANILOV	Nikita	RUS	3:49.66
6	ENGLEZAKIS	Konstantinos	GRE	3:50.36
7	YANCHEV	Yordan	BUL	3:50.41
8	MAGAHEY	Jake	USA	3:51.19

Women’s 400 IM

Spain’s Alba Vazquez Ruiz won a thrilling 400 IM final on Tuesday night in Budapest at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships with a new world junior record at 4:38.53. Vazquez used a strong breaststroke leg to take the lead at the 300 over USA’s Isabel Gormley and Hungary’s Eszter Szabo-Feltothy as the Hungarian had the lead at the 200.

It looked for about 250 meters that Hungary was going to win the first two gold medals of the Championships with Szabo-Feltothy leading, but she was quickly chased down by Vazquez and Gormley, who put on a duel over the last 100 meters on the freestyle. Vazquez held off a late charge from Gormley, based out of New York City, as the Spaniard got under the world junior and championships record set by Great Britain’s Rosie Rudin in 2015 at 4:39.01. Gormley was almost under the old record as well with a 4:39.15 for the silver medal.

Vazquez is now ranked 15th in the world and is the second fastest Spaniard behind Mireia Belmonte. Gormley is now ranked 20th in the world for 2019, moving ahead of fellow American Katie Ledecky.

Gormley on winning silver: “I had no expectations. I really wanted to medal tonight, but I had no idea I was going to drop five seconds. That was amazing. Such an amazing race to go with (Alba Vazquez Ruiz). She was amazing to race, but I’m really happy right now.”

Great Britain’s Michaella Glenister used a stellar final 100 to win the bronze medal with a 4:39.35 as she chased down the Hungarian, who wound up fourth at 4:40.48.

Spain’s Paula Juste Sanchez (4:41.79) finished in fifth while Hungary’s Viktoria Mihalyvari-Farkas (4:44.25), USA’s Grace Sheble (4:45.41) and Japan’s Mei Ishihara (4:47.94) also swam in the final.

World Junior Record: ~~4:39.01, Rosie Rudin, GBR (2015)~~
Championships Record: ~~4:39.01, Rosie Rudin, GBR (2015)~~

1	VAZQUEZ RUIZ	Alba	ESP	4:38.53	WJ, CR
2	GORMLEY	Isabel	USA	4:39.15
3	GLENISTER	Michaella	GBR	4:39.35
4	SZABO-FELTOTHY	Eszter	HUN	4:40.48
5	JUSTE SANCHEZ	Paula	ESP	4:41.79
6	MIHALYVARI-FARKAS	Viktoria	HUN	4:44.25
7	SHEBLE	Grace	USA	4:45.41
8	ISHIHARA	Mei	JPN	4:47.94

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

The United States men broke the world junior record in the 4×100 free relay on the first night of the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest with a 3:15.80. Jake Magahey (49.51), Luca Urlando (48.73), Adam Chaney (48.64) and Carson Foster (48.92) propelled the Americans to the record as they also broke the Championships Record that the Australians set in 2013 at 3:16.96. Russia (3:16.26) and Italy (3:16.29) were also under the old records.

“First night you always want to get the ball rolling, really set the momentum for the rest of the meet and we know how important that relay is to the U.S., so to come out with a gold and on top of that world junior record is super exciting,” Foster said.

Urlando on race: “I think everyone’s contribution to the entire relay is what made that swim really impressive, but I was really happy with it.”

The Italians were leading after 200 meters thanks to a stellar start from Federica Burdisso (49.38) and Thomas Ceccon (48.59). USA used arguably its best leg in Chaney on the third leg as he went right past Mario Nicotra (49.65) to give Foster some clean water.

Foster was able to hold off Italy’s anchor leg Stefano Nicetto (48.67) and a strong push from Russia’s anchor Andrei Minakov (47.82) as the Ohio native held on to win the gold medal, and added a lane line celebration to finish off the first night of competition.

Minakov’s stellar anchor leg was not enough to catch the Americans as they collected the silver medal with the likes of Arsenii Chivilev (50.23), Aleksandr Shchegolev (48.54), Egor Pavlov (49.67) and Minakov (47.82).

The top three teams were well ahead of the rest of the field with Canada (3:19.10) placing fourth. There were rumors during the race that Canada and Australia would be disqualified but they were not, despite Canada’s James Lebuke registering a -0.02 reaction time and Australia’s Alex Quach registering a -0.03 takeover. FINA allows -0.04 so the takeovers were legal.

Brazil (3:20.17), Australia (3:20.48), Ukraine (3:21.07) and Hungary (3:22.85) also swam in the final.

World Junior Record: ~~3:16.96, Australia (2013)~~
Championships Record: ~~3:16.96, Australia (2013)~~

1	USA	3:15.80, WJ, CR	Magahey, 49.51,	Urlando, 48.73,	Chaney, 48.64,	Foster, 48.92
2	RUS	3:16.26	Chivilev, 50.23,	Shchegolev, 48.54,	Pavlov, 49.67,	Minakov, 47.82
3	ITA	3:16.29	Burdisso, 49.38,	Ceccon, 48.59,	Nicotra, 49.65,	Nicetto, 48.67
4	CAN	3:19.10	Liendo, 49.53,	Lebuke, 50.02,	Knox, 49.68,	Pratt, 49.87
5	BRA	3:20.17	Sanots, 50.44,	Bondra, 49.75,	Tomiyama, 50.74,	Stein, 49.24
6	AUS	3:20.48	McDonald, 51.04,	Quach, 49.35,	Edwards-Smith, 50.67,	Neill, 49.42
7	UKR	3:21.07	Romaniuk, 50.56,	Laktin, 50.81,	Linnyk, 50.29,	Bukhov, 49.41
8	HUN	3:22.85	Szabados, 50.69,	Pap, 50.43,	Ulrich, 50.51,

Women’s 4×200 Free Relay

The United States won the women’s 4×200 free relay to close out the first night of finals from the 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Budapest with a 7:55.49 as the Americans swept both relays on night one. Lillie Nordmann (1:59.31), Erin Gemmell (1:59.70), Justina Kozan (1:58.09) and Claire Tuggle (1:58.39) won the gold medal for the Americans while the Australians finished in second at 7:57.87.

Gemmell on the relay win: “It felt amazing. Being with three other people while you win is so much better, I think, than being alone because you have all these people you’ve done it with and then you get to stand up there with those people instead of just alone. It’s just an amazing experience.”

Australia got off to a quick start with the likes of Lani Pallister (1:58.61) and Michaela Ryan (1:59.11) on the first two legs as they clearly put their two best swimmers on the front end. It was looking to be a mirror image from the World Championships in Gwangju where the Aussies beat the Americans with a new world record, but the Americans used a strong back half with 15-year-old Californians Kozan and Tuggle swimming 1:58’s to get the gold medal.

Russia originally won the bronze medal from lane one but wound up disqualified, elevating Canada to the bronze medal at 8:01.14. Emma O’Croinin closed well for the Canadians with a 1:57.95 as she was the only swimmer among the 32 in the final to split under 1:58. Brooklyn Douthwright (1:59.69), Katrina Bellio (2:00.61) and Genevieve Sasseville (2:02.61) swam the first three legs for the Canadians, picking up their first medal of the Championships.

Germany (8:03.58), Spain (8:06.97), Poland (8:06.97) and Hungary (8:08.33) also swam in the final.

World Junior Record: 7:51.47, Canada (2017)
Championships Record: 7:51.47, Canada (2017)

1	USA	7:55.49	Nordmann, 1:59.31,	Gemmell, 1:59.70,	Kozan, 1:58.09,	Tuggle, 1:58.39
2	AUS	7:57.87	Pallister, 1:58.61,	Ryan, 1:59.11,	Jacobson, 2:00.71	Forrester, 1:59.44
3	CAN	8:01.14	Douthwright, 1:59.69,	Bellio, 2:00.61,	Sasseville, 2:02.61,	O’Croinin, 1:57.95
4	GER	8:03.58	Tobehn, 2:00.35,	Vogelmann, 2:00.80,	Kleyboldt, 2:00.58,	Goerigk, 2:01.58
5	ESP	8:06.97	Campabadal, 2:01.14,	Herrero, 2:02.42,	Juste, 2:01.67,	Garcia, 2:01.74
5	POL	8:06.97	Klimek, 2:00.31,	Gusc, 2:03.45,	Tarasiewicz, 2:03.09,	Knop, 2:00.12
7	HUN	8:08.33	Nagy, 2:02.08,	Hathazi, 2:02.43,	Szoke, 2:01.50,	Gal, 2:02.32
	RUS	DSQ

Women’s 50 Breast Semi Finals

World Junior Record: 29.86, Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
Championships Record: 29.86, Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato, who is coming off a silver medal in this event at the World Championships, is the top seed in the 50 breast with a 30.39. She won the silver medal in Gwangju last month at just 14 years of age, a huge milestone in an already monumental summer that began at the European Juniors in early July where she won a gold in the 50 breast there. Pilato was slower than her season best but she was still able to be the only swimmer to break 31 seconds in the semifinals.

Pilato is seeded ahead of USA’s Kaitlyn Dobler (31.15) and Great Britain’s Kayla van der Merwe (31.22) as the race in the final tomorrow should be for the silver medal. Pilato should have a chance to catch Ruta Meilutyte’s world junior record that she set in 2013 at the World Juniors in Dubai at 29.86. Pilato’s best this year was a 29.98 at Worlds so she is within striking distance of the record.

South Africa’s Lara van Niekerk (31.28), Lithuania’s Kotryna Teterevkova (31.30), USA’s Ellie Andrews (31.50), Russia’s Anastasia Makarova (31.67) and Denmark’s Thea Blomsterberg (31.70) also made the final.

1	PILATO	Benedetta	ITA	30.39	Q
2	DOBLER	Kaitlyn	USA	31.15	Q
3	VAN DER MERWE	Kayla	GBR	31.22	Q
4	VAN NIEKERK	Lara	RSA	31.28	Q
5	TETEREVKOVA	Kotryna	LTU	31.30	Q
6	ANDREWS	Ellie	USA	31.50	Q
7	MAKAROVA	Anastasia	RUS	31.67	Q
8	BLOMSTERBERG	Thea	DEN	31.70	Q
9	POWELL	Georgia	AUS	31.84
10	CHIKUNOVA	Evgeniia	RUS	31.88
10	STEPANKOVA	Lydie	CZE	31.88
12	WISEMAN	Avery	CAN	32.02
13	BEKESI	Eszter	HUN	32.17
14	SISOJEVA	Arina	LAT	32.19
15	HERBERT	Bailey	CAN	32.27
16	MATAJA	Meri	CRO	32.44

Men’s 100 Back Semi Finals

World Junior Record: 52.53, Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2018)
Championships Record: 54.07, Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2019)

Russia’s Nikolay Zuev posted the top time in the 100 back semi finals with a 54.08 as he is seeded ahead of France’s Mewen Tomac (54.42) and Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (54.49). Zuev was just 0.01 off the championships record that was set in the heats at 54.07 by Ceccon, who will be right next to Zuev in tomorrow’s final. Ceccon got the upper hand over Zuev in the 100 back at the European Juniors earlier in the summer as the Russian will be looking for revenge. Tomac should not be counted out either for the gold medal.

USA’s Will Grant (54.54) and Wyatt Davis (54.59) are within striking distance of the medals as they sit in fourth and fifth. India’s Srihari Nataraj (54.69) provided a big boost for Indian swimming by getting in the final. India rarely has swimmers in an A-Final at the world level and Nataraj is making history for his country. Canada will also have two swimmers in the final with Cole Pratt (54.78) and Tyler Wall (54.80) in seventh and eighth.

Notably, Czech Republic’s Jan Cejka (55.01), who is the top seed in the 200 back, missed the final in ninth place. He won the bronze at European Juniors earlier this summer.

1	ZUEV	Nikolay	RUS	54.08	Q
2	TOMAC	Mewen	FRA	54.42	Q
3	CECCON	Thomas	ITA	54.49	Q
4	GRANT	Will	USA	54.54	Q
5	DAVIS	Wyatt	USA	54.59	Q
6	NATARAJ	Srihari	IND	54.69	Q
7	PRATT	Cole	CAN	54.78	Q
8	WALL	Tyler	CAN	54.80	Q
9	CEJKA	Jan	CZE	55.01
10	BROWN	Charlie	GBR	55.04
11	COSTA	Joao	POR	55.18
12	PAVLIDI	Arijus	LTU	55.32
13	EDWARDS-SMITH	Joshua	AUS	55.37
14	DELL	Zac	NZL	55.56
15	DAHLER	Marvin	GER	55.76
16	IRELAND	Kalani	AUS	55.90

Men’s 100 Breast Semi Finals

World Junior Record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)
Championships Record: 59.01, Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)

USA’s Josh Matheny and Kevin Houseman put up the top two seeded times in the men’s 100 breast semi finals as Matheny lowered his own 15-16 NAG record with a 1:00.32. Matheny, based out of Pittsburgh, was a 1:00.66 in the heats to get under Michael Andrew’s 1:00.68 record from 2015. Matheny will be the top seed heading into tomorrow with Houseman in second and Canada’s Gabe Mastromatteo (1:00.76) in third.

The world junior record looks to be safe tomorrow with Nicolo Martinenghi’s 59.01 from 2017 still standing.

The field of eight are separated by less than a second as it will be anyone’s race for the gold medal in tomorrow’s final. Japan’s Shoma Sato, who is the top seed in the 200, is seeded fourth at 1:00.96. Great Britain’s Archie Goodwin, who is looking to follow in Adam Peaty’s foot steps, is seeded fifth at 1:01.03 ahead of Russia’s Vladislav Gerasimenko (1:01.04), Ireland’s Eoin Corby (1:01.06) and Japan’s Yuta Arai (1:01.17).

1	MATHENY	Josh	USA	1:00.32	Q
2	HOUSEMAN	Kevin	USA	1:00.46	Q
3	MASTROMATTEO	Gabe	CAN	1:00.76	Q
4	SATO	Shoma	JPN	1:00.96	Q
5	GOODBURN	Archie	GBR	1:01.03	Q
6	GERASIMENKO	Vladislav	RUS	1:01.04	Q
7	CORBY	Eoin	IRL	1:01.06	Q
8	ARAI	Yuta	JPN	1:01.17	Q
9	ZHIGALOV	Alexander	RUS	1:01.19
10	DEMIR	Demirkan	TUR	1:01.38
11	BASTIAN	Izaak	BAH	1:01.99
12	TKACHUK	Maksym	UKR	1:02.40
13	AL-WIR	Amro	JOR	1:02.45
14	BOHM	Sebestyen	HUN	1:02.50
15	MARCHAND	Leon	FRA	1:03.03
16	THOMOGLOU	Savvas	GRE	1:03.17

Women’s 100 Back Semi Finals

World Juniors Record: 57.57, Regan Smith, USA (2019)
Championships Record: 59.11, Regan Smith, USA (2017)

Canada’s Jade Hannah (59.97) was the lone swimmer to get under 1:00 in the 100 back semi finals on the first night of the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships as she is ahead of USA’s Claire Curzan (1:00.17) and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan (1:00.29). Hannah will be looking to upgrade her bronze medal in this event from the 2017 World Juniors where she finished behind current world record holder Regan Smith and fellow Canadian Taylor Ruck.

USA’s Annabel Crush (1:00.93) also advanced to the final as the Louisville native is seeded ahead of Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko (1:00.99), who came into the meet as the top seed in the 200 IM. Russia’s Daria Vaskina (1:01.08), who was a gold medal favorite coming into the meet, is seeded sixth at 1:01.08.

Portugal’s Rafaela Azevedo (1:01.18) and Belarus’ Anastasiya Shkurdai (1:01.45) also advanced to the final.

1	HANNAH	Jade	CAN	59.97	Q
2	CURZAN	Claire	USA	1:00.17	Q
3	O’CALLAGHAN	Mollie	AUS	1:00.29	Q
4	CRUSH	Annabel	USA	1:00.93	Q
5	GORBENKO	Anastasia	ISR	1:00.99	Q
6	VASKINA	Daria	RUS	1:01.08	Q
7	AZEVEDO	Rafaela	POR	1:01.18	Q
8	SHKURDAI	Anastasiya	BLR	1:01.45	Q
9	HERASIMOWICZ	Zuzanna	POL	1:01.50
10	RIEDEMANN	Lena	GER	1:01.52
11	GRABOWSKI	Lena	AUT	1:01.85
12	GAETANI	Erika Francesca	ITA	1:01.94
13	JOB	Bronte	AUS	1:02.28
14	MURRAY	Pia	GBR	1:02.59
15	BARZELAY	Aviv	ISR	1:02.63
15	OSRIN	Honey	GBR	1:02.63

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