2019 World Junior Swimming Championships Day 6 Prelims: Luca Urlando, Lani Pallister Poised for Stellar Finish

Luca Urlando took the top seed in the 200 butterfly at junior worlds. Photo Courtesy: Connor Trimble

World Junior Swimming Championships (Lani Pallister, Luca Urlando)

Budapest, Day 6 Finale

On the last morning of heats at the global youth showcase in the Hungarian capital, Australian Lani Pallister and American Luca Urlando set up golden shots at stellar conclusions to their successful campaigns.

Urlando, who has four golds in the treasury so far this week, took the top seed in the 200 fly this morning, while Pallister, the most medalled swimmer of the meet with three solo golds and two relay silvers, did the same in the 200 free.

In other action this morning, American Wyatt Davis produced strong swim in the 200 back narrowly earning the top seed.

In the women’s 200 breast, four swimmers were 14 hundredths of a second apart. Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova led the pack by three hundredths herself to take the top seed.

Prelim reports below.

The Wraps

The World Junior Records

Keeping it in the family

Lani Pallister and Janelle Elford – The race. The family tradition.

On the rise

Josh Matheny’s fast ascension.

Men’s 200 Back

World Record: Aaron Peirsol, USA (1:51.92)
Meet Record: Hugo Gonzalez, Spain (1:56.69)
World Junior Record: Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (1:55.14)

Wyatt Davis – Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

Two swimmers broke 1:59 in the 200 backstroke to kick off the final day of competition. Wyatt Davis of the U.S. took the top seed in the event in 1:58.62 after splitting a 27.92 to start the event, then holding 30s the rest of the way.

Canada’s Cole Pratt also broke 1:59 after splitting 28.26 and 29.84 to start the race.

USA’s Carson Foster took the third seed in 1:59.28, ahead of Great Britain’s Charlie Brown (1:59.36) and Lithuania’s Arijus Pavlidi (1:59.63).

There was a tie for the sixth seed as Russia’s Egor Dolomanov and France’s Mewen Tomac each finished in 1:59.75, while Portugal’s Joao Costa was eighth in 2:00.07.

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Women’s 200 Breast

World Record: Rikke Pedersen, Denmark (2:19.11)
Meet Record: Viktoria Gunes, Turkey (2:19.64)
World Junior Record: Viktoria Gunes, Turkey (2:19.64)

Four swimmers were 14 hundredths of a second apart to take the top four spots in the 200 breast.

Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova took the top seed in 2:27.23, just three hundredths ahead of Japan’s Mei Ishihara (2:27.26).

Another Russian, Anastasia Makarova, took the third seed in 2:27.30, followed by Hungary’s Eszter Bekesi (2:27.36).

A fifth swimmer was under 2:28 as China’s Zheng Muyan finished in 2:27.94.

Abby Arens of the U.S. took the sixth seed in 2:28.12, followed by Kayla van der Merwe (2:28.15) of Great Britain and Slovakia’s Nikoleta Trinikova (2:28.43).

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Men’s 200 Fly

World Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary (1:50.73)
Meet Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary (1:53.87)
World Junior Record: Kristof Milak, Hungary (1:53.79)

Luca Urlando continued his strong month of performing on the biggest stages with his swim in the 200 fly prelims.

Urlando took the top seed in 1:55.98, nearly a second ahead of the rest of the field. He split a 25.59 to start, then a 28.69 to build a lead he wouldn’t relinquish.

Wang Kuan-Hung of Chinese Taipei was the closest competitor, finishing in 1:56.96 to take the second seed, nearly a second ahead of the next-fastest competitor.

Japan’s Tomoru Honda and Italy’s Federico Burdisso tied for the third seed, both finishing in 1:57.58.

The rest of the finalists are Russia’s Egor Pavlov (1:58.38), South Africa’s Ethan du Preez (1:58.67), Czech Republic’s Sebastian Lunak (1:59.13) and France’s Leon Marchand (1:59.17).

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Women’s 200 Free

World Record: Federica Pellegrini, Italy (1:52.98)
Meet Record: Taylor Ruck, Canada (1:57.08)
World Junior Record: Yang Junxuan, China (1:55.43)

Australia’s Lani Pallister has been nothing short of dominant throughout this entire meet and put herself in position for another victory with her prelims swim in the 200 free.

Pallister took the top seed in the event with a 1:59.07 swim, nearly a second ahead of the rest of the field.

Her closing split of 29.94 put the stamp on a strong prelims race.

USA’s Claire Tuggle took the second seed in 1:59.55 after her quick 27.90 start.

New Zealand’s Erika Fairweather (1:59.87) and Canada’s Emma O’Croinin (1:59.98) also broke 2 minutes to take the next two seeds in the finals.

Japan’s Nagisa Ikemoto nearly joined the sub-2 minute group, finishing in 2:00.01.

Russia’s Polina Nevmovenko (2:00.08), Hungary’s Fanni Fabian (2:00.27) and Canada’s Katrina Bellio (2:00.92) rounded out the finalists.

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Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay

World Record: USA (3:27.28)
Meet Record: Russia (3:35.17)
World Junior Record: USA (3:36.15)

The U.S. relay squad used a quick start and an even quicker finish to take the top seed in the 4×100 medley relay.

Wyatt Davis (54.71) led off the race before Kevin Houseman dove in and swam the breaststroke leg in 1:01.67. Dare Rose then swam the butterfly leg in 52.55 before Jack Armstrong anchored the relay in 49.48.

Canada’s Tyler Wall, Gabe Mastromatteo, Joshua Liendo Edwards and Finlay Knox took the second seed in 3:39.89.

Russia’s Pavel Samusekno, Alexander Zhigalov, Egor Pavlof and Aleskei Fedkin earned the third seed in 3:40.05.

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Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay

World Record: USA (3:50.40)
Meet Record: Canada (3:58.38)
World Junior Record: Canada (3:58.38)

Russia’s Daria Vaskina (1:00.68), Anastasia Makarova (1:08.77), Iana Sattarova (1:00.10) and Ekaterina Nikonova (55.02) combined to take the top seed in 4:04.57.

Italy’s Erika Gaetani, Benedetta Pilato, Helena Biasibetti and Costanza Cocconcelli were next in 4:05.18, followed by Australia (4:09.03).

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