FLASH Kliment Kolesnikov Sets 50 Backstroke WR Of 23.55 At Swim Cup Of Russia

Kliment Kolesnikov: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Perottino / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Kliment Kolesnikov Sets 50 Backstroke World Record Of 23.55 At Swim Cup Of Russia

Kliment Kolesnikov reclaimed the 50 backstroke world record in 23.55, slicing 0.16 off Hunter Armstrong‘s standard in the semis of the Swim Cup of Russia in Kazan.

The meet features swimmers from Russia and Belarus who are banned from the international stage following the invasion of Ukraine and coincides with the World Championships in Fukuoka where the 50 back will be contested on Saturday and Sunday.

Given that Russia is isolated on the international stage, there is some confusion as to whether WRs by Russian/Belarusian athletes stand: Evgeniia Chikunova‘s 200 breaststroke mark of 2:17.55 time is now ratified as a WR.

A World Aquatics spokesman told Swimming World:

“The swim from Mr. Kolesnikov will follow the World Aquatics world record process of approval that any other world record follows. Only when the necessary steps are taken and verified can a world record then be ratified.

“Since early 2022, Russian and Belarus are not invited to participate in World Aquatics competitions. This continues today.”

The two-time Olympic medallist looked ominous in Thursday morning’s prelims, going 24.11 for the sixth-fastest time of his career.

Kolesnikov returned for the evening semis where he claimed the WR for the fourth time, lowering Armstrong’s 23.71 from the US world trials in 2022.

That followed a 21.78 semi in the 50 free for the second best of his career and came a day after he went 51.82 in the 100 back, the second-fastest performance all-time.

Given he broke the global standard twice in as many days at the 2021 European Championships, Kolesnikov may lower that even further in Friday’s final.

The 23-year-old now holds four of the top six times in history – twice having gone 23.93 – and five of the top 10.

Liam Tancock‘s 24.04 WR from the 2009 worlds stood for nine years and two days before Kolesnikov went 24.00 at the 2018 Europeans in Glasgow.

Three years later he dipped inside 24 for the first time with a 23.93 semifinal at the 2021 Europeans in Budapest only to lower it still further to 23.80 en-route to gold the following day.

All-Time Rankings

23.55: Kliment Kolesnikov, 2023 Swim Cup of Russia

23.71: Hunter Armstrong, 2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials

23.92: Justin Ress, 2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials

24.00: Shaine Casas, 2022 Phillips 66 International Team Trials

24.04: Liam Tancock, 2009 World Championships

Swim Cup of Russia Round-Up

Maria Kameneva added the 100 free title to her 50 back on day two in 53.93 while Anastasia Shkurdai of Belarus dominated the 200 back to win by 2.81secs in 2:08.76

Peter Zhikarev led throughout to take the 100 fly in 51.06 while Alexander Stepanov headed the 800 free in 7:49.86.

A Saint Petersburg quartet won the mixed 4×1 free in 3:26.01.

In the semis, Evgenia Chikunova booked lane four for the 100 breaststroke final in 1:05.97, the 18-year-old the only woman inside 1:06.

Arina Surkova heads the field into the women’s 50 fly in 25.86.

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