Danas Rapsys Shows Glimpses of Old Form With World Cup Wins

Danas Rapsys of Lithuania reacts after winning the bronze medal in the 400m Freestyle Men Final during the FINA Swimming Short Course World Championships at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne, Australia, December 15th, 2022. Photo Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Danas Rapsys -- Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Danas Rapsys Shows Glimpses of Old Form With World Cup Wins

A cold war emerged among swimmers at the 2019 World Championships. When Chinese freestyler Sun Yang won gold in the 400 freestyle and 200 freestyle, a pair of his rivals refused to acknowledge Sun or pose for photos with the controversial Chinese swimmer, referencing his multiple anti-doping in fractions and his ongoing appeal of a lengthy drug suspension (which he is currently serving). Silver medalist Mack Horton made a statement after the 400 free before co-bronze medalist Duncan Scott had a similar nonverbal message after the 200-meter event.

But the way the 200 free final unfolded, it appeared as though Sun had been knocked off his world-title perch and that Scott would not make the podium. The apparent winner was a man who had won medals at the Short Course World Championships but never before reached a podium at a global-level long course meet before he came only two tenths short in the 400 free final. Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys used a stunning finish to seemingly upset the Chinese defending champion.

Rapsys had touched in 1:44.69, 24-hundredths ahead of Sun’s 1:44.93, but moments later, he was disqualified for flinching on the start. A crushing blow to lose out on a world title, but the then-24-year-old seemed to have himself set up well for the leadup to the Tokyo Olympics. Indeed, Rapsys returned weeks later to swim a time of 1:44.38 at a World Cup meet in Singapore, a faster mark than Sun or any other active swimmer had recorded at the time.

But as with so many swimmers, the one-year delay of the Tokyo Olympics forced by the COVID-19 pandemic zapped Rapsys of the momentum he had built. After receiving no opportunities to race at an elite level in 2020, he never came close to his best marks in 2021. In May, he scored European Championships bronze in the 400 free but missed the continental podium in the 200 while coming in 1.34 seconds behind his best time. He got into the Olympic final in Tokyo but swam in last place for the entire race and never caught up.

Since then, Rapsys has continued to have success in the 25-meter course, with three medals at the Short Course World Championships between 2021 and 2022, but his impact in long course has been minimal. His results in the 200 free at the last two World Championships: 14th in 2022, 17th this year, failing to clear 1:46.5 on either occasion. He did not even race the 400 free at the Fukuoka Worlds.

Now 28, Rapsys had not exactly entrenched himself on the radar in the middle distance conversation — so it was certainly jarring to see Rapsys turn back the clock the World Cup opener in Berlin. He posted marks of 1:45.75 in the 200 free and 3:44.86 in the 400 free, and one week later, he won both races again at the World Cup in Athens, swimming significantly slower in the 400 free (3:48.64) but going slightly faster in the 200 free (1:45.72).

He was still nowhere near his best times, and such is the improvement in the middle-distance races that his times.would have only been back-end finals times at the recent World Championships. Thus, any hope at returning to serious medal contention internationally would require Rapsys to progress from these times rather than top out at this level.

Still, most veteran contenders are not approaching their top marks at this point in the cycle while Rapsys is posting his quickest times in four years. At the very least, a solid run at the World Cup could leave this Lithuanian with some important confidence heading into the Olympic stretch.

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