Grgic, Minakov, Pallister, Papastamos, Packed Stands & Team USA Top The Bill At Budapest 2019

Budapest2019
As it was at Budapest 2017 World Championships, the stands were packed at the Duna Arena in the Hungarian capital for Budapest 2019 World Junior titles, the value of hosting swimming majors in places that major on swimming lost on few - Main images Courtesy: Budapest 2019 and FINA

World Junior Swimming Championships (Grgic Minakov Pallister Papastamos)

Budapest 2019 

The 2019 World Junior Championships are history, packed stands at the Duna Arena in the Hungarian capital proof once more that swimming is best hosted where swimming is loved and appreciated and understood.

The outstanding swims that made an impact on the World Top 10 rankings came from Franko Grgic, Apostolos Papastamos and Lani Pallister (Andrei Minakov having already made that club before Budapest), while new members of the club of those who claimed at least two golds in solo events include Gretchen Walsh, Jade Hannah, Evgeniia Chikunova, Torri Huske, Luca Urlando, Thomas Ceccon and Vladislav Gerasimenko.

Perspective on all those predictions running wild on social media and the frenzied edge of fan world:

  • Of the 154 swimmers who claimed Word junior titles in solo races between 2006 and 2017, nine went on to finish top three/stand on an Olympic podium in an individual event (to date: the 2017 wave has not yet had its Olympic chance, for the most part, the 2006-2015 count 9 out of 131).

The sums comes down to five boys to men and four girls to women and they don’t add up to criticism of any of the 131 or 154 nor any who raced in Budapest over the past six days of extremely competitive swimming.

Rather, the conversion numbers remind us just how hard, long and winding the road from junior to senior waters is. Such journeys includes complexities such as the fast maturity of some athletes at a young age, the environment in which athletes find themselves in their youth, the vast difference in strengths of national programs and emphasis and on and funding of youth sport. They extend to health and the vagaries of ‘fate’, too.

Basically, there are no guarantees. Among those who did convert are Mireia Belmonte, Anastasia Zueva (now Fesikova), Caitlin Leverenz, Tyler Clary, Mack Horton, Kyle Chalmers and Anton Chupkov and Kosuke Hagino, between 2006 and 2015.

Conversion also includes Aurelie Muller, the French swimmer who might have been an Olympic marathon medallist but for a DQ at Rio 2016 that was at least as much the fault of those who set the course up as it was the swimmer’s. Conversion also means relays but our count above is for solo events. The class of 2017 includes the likes of Kristof Milak, Taylor Ruck and Regan Smith.

Ruta Meilutyte, a four-times champion in 2013, does not make the count because she fits a rare pattern: she was an Olympic champion at 15 before she took the junior world by storm.

Katie Ledecky was 15 and a London 2012 champion whose Olympic debut announced her arrival before she was widely known as ‘one to watch’. Ledecky never raced as a junior. Perhaps there would have been little point, her goals set senior from relative “go”.

In another lane, Adam Peaty is a thumping example among the many who were not in the frame in there teenage years. As Peaty opus it “I didn’t take any of it seriously until I was 17”.

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Caeleb Dressel – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

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Bronte Campbell – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Then there are those who put nail their junior potential to the mast and then take time out to grow and think and understand their heart and gut: 2013 breaker, Caeleb Dressel, beyond his own long and winding road, did get to Rio 2016 and made the podium for relays, as did many others among those 154 junior champions, including the likes of Bronte Campbell and Cameron McEvoy.

Along the same trail of talent, we find Minna Atherton, Viktoriya Gunes and Rikako Ikee (currently receiving treatment for leukaemia), each of their stories and challenges unique to them.

The potential of all of the above to make the ultimate podium heading into Olympic year 2020 – and then Paris 2o24 and Los Angeles 2028 – is as solid as the Tokyo skyline but less certain than the fresh blooming of Japan’s cherry blossom come spring and trials season.

In Budapest this past week, Papastamos and his 4:11 win over 400m medley ahead of a 4:12 from the swiftest 16-year-old ever, Ilia Borodin, of Russia, came closest to imagining a shot at the Tokyo 2020 podium.

Right up there with them was Grgic and his 14:46 over 30 laps, followed by a statement from the Croatian schoolboy that a 14:40 was in his sights but a cautionary break from heavy training earlier in the summer had left him shy of that but still with the fastest 1500m for a 16-year-old in history.

Shy of adulthood, Grgic, like Michael Phelps (who had no global junior event to attend in his day but, lies Ledecky and Bruce Gemmell, probably would not have made that choice with Bob Bowman anyway) and others down the decades before him, shows a maturity beyond his years in terms of the understanding and feel for the world they’ve married their passion, drive and ambition too from an early age.

Andrei Minakov, of Russia, was awarded the FINA best boy prize, his victories in the 100m freestyle and butterfly finals buoyed by gold in the 4x100m medley and silvers in the men’s 4x100m free and both mixed relays for a six-medal tally.

Lani Pallister also claimed three gold and three silvers for best girl trophy and became the second swimmer in the history of the junior showcase back to 2006 to complete the 400, 800, 1500m free treble. The Australian also matched Russian Elena Sokolova‘s 2008 achievement in another aspect: each victory established a championship record.

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Lani Pallister – Photo Courtesy: Swimming Australia/Delly Carr

Dominant USA

The dominant team was, as it is in senior waters, the United States, the top tally 18 gold, 10 silver, 9 bronze, for 37 medals in all. Russia was closest – 7-11-4-22; the top 3 completed by  Australia – 4-5-4-13. Italy, 3-2-7-12, and Canada, 2-5-5-12 set the five most-medalled nations apart from the rest.

For most who raced in Budapest, Paris 2024 and beyond is their Olympic horizon. Here’s how it panned out:

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Andrei Minakov – Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019

The Daily Wrap of Finals:

The World Junior Records

Among other Noteworthy stories

The Podiums

Boys

50m freestyle Vladyslav Bukhov
Ukraine
22.13 David Curtiss
United States
22.14 Adam Chaney
United States
22.40
100m freestyle Andrei Minakov
Russia
48.73 Joshua Liendo
Canada
49.17 Robin Hanson
Sweden
49.25
200m freestyle Luca Urlando
United States
1:46.97 Robin Hanson
Sweden
1:47.03 Murilo Sartori
Brazil
1:47.39
400m freestyle Gábor Zombori
Hungary
3:46.06
CR
Thomas Neill
Australia
3:46.27 Aleksandr Egorov
Russia
3:47.36
800m freestyle Franko Grgić
Croatia
7:45.92 Ilia Sibirtsev
Russia
7:48.05 Thomas Neill
Australia
7:48.65
1500 m freestyle Franko Grgić
Croatia
14:46.09 WJR, CR Thomas Neill
Australia
14:59.19 Ilia Sibirtsev
Russia
15:05.17
50 m backstroke Jan Čejka
Czech Republic
25.08 Wyatt Davis
United States
25.23 Thomas Ceccon
Italy
25.35
100 m backstroke Thomas Ceccon
Italy
53.46
CR
Nikolay Zuev
Russia
53.59 Wyatt Davis
United States
54.14
200 m backstroke Wyatt Davis
United States
1:58.18 Carson Foster
United States
1:58.47 Mewen Tomac
France
1:58.71
50 m breaststroke Vladislav Gerasimenko
Russia
27.58 Gabe Mastromatteo
Canada
27.73 Archie Goodburn
Great Britain
27.83
100 m breaststroke Vladislav Gerasimenko
Russia
59.97 Josh Matheny
United States
1:00.17 Kevin Houseman
United States
1:00.55
200 m breaststroke Josh Matheny
United States
2:09.40
CR
Shoma Sato
 Japan
2:09.56 Yuta Arai
 Japan
2:10.84
50 m butterfly Thomas Ceccon
Italy
23.37 Andrei Minakov
Russia
23.39 Josif Miladinov
Bulgaria
23.48
100 m butterfly Andrei

Minakov
Russia

51.25 Federico Burdisso
 Italy
51.83 Egor Pavlov
Russia
51.90
200 m butterfly Luca Urlando
United States
1:55.02 Tomoru Honda
Japan
1:55.31 Federico Burdisso
Italy
1:55.39
200 m individual medley Carson Foster
United States
1:58.46
CR
Finlay Knox
Canada
1:59.44 Apostolos Papastamos
 Greece
1:59.62
400 m individual medley Apostolos Papastamos
Greece
4:11.93
WJR, CR
Ilia Borodin
Russia
4:12.95 Léon Marchand France 4:16.37
4×100 m freestyle relay United States (USA)
Jake Magahey (49.51)
Luca Urlando (48.73)
Adam Chaney (48.64)
Carson Foster (48.92)
Jack Alexy[h]
Matt Brownstead[h]
Jack Armstrong[h]
3:15.80
WJR, CR
Russia (RUS)
Arseniy Chivilev (50.23)
Aleksandr Shchegolev (48.54)
Egor Pavlov (49.67)
Andrei Minakov (47.82)
Pavel Samusenko[h]
Aleksey Fedkin[h]
3:16.26  Italy (ITA)
Federico Burdisso (49.38)
Thomas Ceccon (48.59)
Mario Nicotra (49.65)
Stefano Nicetto (48.67)
Paolo Conte Bonin[h]
3:16.29
4×200 m freestyle relay United States (USA)
Jake Magahey (1:48.11)
Luca Urlando (1:47.13)
Jake Mitchell (1:47.03)
Carson Foster (1:46.10)
Dare Rose[h]
Wyatt Davis[h]
7:08.37
WJR, CR
 Russia (RUS)
Nikita Danilov (1:48.76)
Aleksandr Shchegolev (1:46.36)
Maksim Aleksandrov (1:48.38)
Aleksandr Egorov (1:48.40)
Egor Pavlov[h]
Roman Moskalenko[h]
7:11.90 Australia (AUS)
Thomas Neill (1:47.58)
Mitchell Tinsley (1:49.85)
Thomas Hauck (1:48.65)
Alexander Grant (1:48.98)
Noah Millard[h]
7:15.06
4×100 m medley relay Russia (RUS)
Nikolay Zuev (53.84)
Vladislav Gerasimenko (59.53)
Andrei Minakov (50.93)
Aleksandr Shchegolev (48.89)
Pavel Samulenko[h]
Alexander Zhigalov[h]
Egor Pavlov[h]
Aleksei Fedkin[h]
3:33.19
WJR, CR
United States (USA)
Will Grant (54.45)
John Matheny (59.55)
Blake Manoff (51.72)
Adam Chaney (47.94)
Wyatt Davis[h]
Kevin Houseman[h]
Dare Rose[h]
Jack Armstrong[h]
3:33.66 Canada (CAN)
Cole Pratt (54.79)
Gabe Mastromatteo (59.82)
Joshua Liendo Edwards (51.90)
Finlay Knox (49.84)
Tyler Wall[h]
3:36.35

Girls

Event Gold Silver Bronze
50 m freestyle Gretchen Walsh
United States
24.71 Maxine Parker
United States
24.75 Meg Harris
Australia
24.89
100 m freestyle Gretchen Walsh
United States
53.74 Torri Huske
United States
54.54 Meg Harris
Australia
54.58
200 m freestyle Erika Fairweather
New Zealand
1:57.96 Lani Pallister
Australia
1:58.09 Emma O’Croinin
Canada
1:58.64
400 m freestyle Lani Pallister
 Australia
4:05.42
CR
Emma O’Croinin       Canada 4:08.11 Rachel Stege                                       United States 4:08.30
800 m freestyle Lani Pallister
Australia
8:22.49
CR
Miyu Namba
Japan
8:27.24 Giulia Salin
Italy
8:28.99
1500 m freestyle Lani Pallister
Australia
15:58.86
CR
Giulia Salin
Italy
16:14.00 Chase Travis
United States
16:18.04
50 m backstroke Bronte Job
Australia
27.87 Jade Hannah
Canada


Daria Vaskina
Russia

27.91 No medal awarded – joint silver
100 m backstroke Jade Hannah
 Canada
59.63 Claire Curzan
United States
1:00.00 Daria Vaskina
Russia
1:00.02
200 m backstroke Jade Hannah
Canada
2:09.28 Lena Grabowski
Austria
2:10.27 Erika Gaetani
Italy
2:10.52
50 m breaststroke Benedetta Pilato
Italy
30.60 Kayla van der Merw         Great Britain 30.91 Kaitlyn Dobler
United States
30.92
100 m breaststroke Evgeniia Chikunova
Russia
1:06.93 Kaitlyn Dobler
United States
1:06.97 Kayla van der Merwe
Great Britain
1:07.06
200 m breaststroke Evgeniia Chikunova
Russia

2:24.03

Anastasia Makarova Russia

2:24.39

Mei Ishihara Japan 2:24.99
50 m butterfly Tori Huske
United States
25.70 Anastasiya Shkurdai
Belarus
25.77 Claire Curzan
United States
25.81
100 m butterfly Torri Huske
United States
57.71 Anastasiya Shkurdai
Belarus
57.98 Claire Curzan
United States
58.37
200 m butterfly Lillie Nordmann
United States
2:08.24 Blanka Berecz
Hungary
2:08.93 Charlotte Hook
United States
2:09.00
200 m individual medley Justina Kozan
United States
2:11.55 Alba Vázquez
Spain
2:13.43 Mei Ishihara
Japan
2:13.52
400 m individual medley Alba Vázquez
Spain
4:38.53
WJR, CR
Isabel Gormley
United States
4:39.15 Michaella Glenister
Great Britain
4:39.35
4×100 m freestyle relay United States (USA)
Gretchen Walsh (54.13)
Torri Huske (54.50)
Grace Cooper (55.04)
Amy Tang (53.94)
Maxine Parker[h]
Justina Kozan[h]
Erin Gemmell[h]
3:37.61 Australia (AUS)
Mollie O’Callaghan (55.07)
Meg Harris (55.51)
Lani Pallister (55.23)
Rebecca Jacobson (55.04)
Gabriella Peiniger[h]
Rebecca Jacobson[h]
Michaela Ryan[h]
3:40.85 Italy (ITA)
Chiara Tarantino (55.47)
Maria Masciopinto (55.39)
Emma Menicucci (55.37)
Gaia Pesenti (55.81)
3:42.04
4×200 m freestyle relay United States (USA)
Lillie Nordmann (1:59.31)
Erin Gemmell (1:59.70)
Justina Kozan (1:58.09)
Claire Tuggle (1:58.39)
Ashley Strouse[h]
7:55.49 Australia (AUS)
Lani Pallister (1:58.61)
Michaela Ryan (1:59.11)
Rebecca Jacobson (2:00.71)
Jenna Forester (1:59.44)
Gabriella Peiniger[h]
7:57.87 Canada (CAN)
Brooklyn Douthwright (1:59.69)
Katrina Bellio (2:00.61)
Genevieve Sasseville (2:02.89)
Emma O’Croinin (1:57.95)
Hanna Henderson[h]
8:01.14
4×100 m medley relay United States (USA)
Claire Curzan (1:00.75)
Kaitlyn Dobler (1:07.51)
Torri Huske (57.86)
Gretchen Walsh (53.01)
Annabel Crush[h]
Ellie Andrews[h]
Lillie Nordmann[h]
Amy Tang[h]
3:59.13 Russia (RUS)
Daria Vaskina (59.90)
Evgeniia Chikunova (1:07.45)
Aleksandra Sabitova (58.47)
Ekaterina Nikonova (54.48)
Anastasia Makarova[h]
Iana Sattarova[h]
4:00.30  Canada (CAN)
Jade Hannah (1:00.42)
Avery Wiseman (1:08.23)
Hanna Henderson (59.16)
Brooklyn Douthwright (55.36)
Genevieve Sasseville[h]
4:03.17

Mixed

Event Gold Silver Bronze
4×100 m freestyle relay United States (USA)
Luca Urlando (49.66)
Adam Chaney (48.25)
Amy Tang (54.18)
Gretchen Walsh (53.83)
Jake Magahey[h]
Carson Foster[h]
Grace Cooper[h]
Maxine Parker[h]
3:25.92
WJR, CR
Russia (RUS)
Aleksandr Shchegolev (49.03)
Andrei Minakov (48.21)
Daria Trofimova (55.40)
Ekaterina Nikonova (55.08)
Arsenii Chivilev[h]
Pavel Samusenko[h]
Aleksandra Sabitova[h]
3:27.72  Italy (ITA)
Federico Burdisso (49.17)
Thomas Ceccon (48.65)
Chiara Tarantino (55.43)
Costanza Cocconcelli (55.87)
Mario Nicotra[h]
Paolo Conte Bonin[h]
Gaia Pesenti[h]
Emma Menicucci[h]
3:29.12
4×100 m medley relay United States (USA)
Will Grant (53.89)
Josh Matheny (59.31)
Torri Huske (58.04)
Gretchen Walsh (53.60)
Wyatt Davis[h]
Kevin Houseman[h]
Justina Kozan[h]
Amy Tang[h]
3:44.84
WJR, CR
Russia (RUS)
Nikolay Zuev (54.27)
Anastasia Makarova (1:07.30)
Andrey Minakov (51.66)
Ekaterina Nikonova (54.83)
Pavel Samusenko[h]
Alexander Zhigalov[h]
Aleksandra Sabitova[h]
Daria Trofimova[h]
3:48.06 Canada (CAN)
Jade Hannah (1:00.23)
Gabe Mastromatteo (1:00.58)
Joshua Liendo Edwards (52.33)
Hanna Henderson (55.06)
Brooklyn Douthwright[h]
3:48.20

h = heats only swimmers – who receive medals

The Medals

Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 United States 18 10 9 37
2 Russia 7 11 4 22
3 Australia 4 5 4 13
4 Italy 3 2 7 12
5 Canada 2 5 5 12
6 Croatia 2 0 0 2
7 Hungary 1 1 0 2
Spain 1 1 0 2
9 Greece 1 0 1 2
10 Czech Republic 1 0 0 1
New Zealand 1 0 0 1
Ukraine 1 0 0 1
13 Japan 0 3 3 6
14 Belarus 0 2 0 2
15 Great Britain 0 1 3 4
16 Sweden 0 1 1 2
17 Austria 0 1 0 1
18 France 0 0 2 2
19 Brazil 0 0 1 1
Bulgaria 0 0 1 1
Total 42 43 41 126

 

 

 

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Largo Abramovitch
4 years ago

L année prochaine petit tu va nagé chez les seniors

Graham Wardell
Graham Wardell
4 years ago

Times/winners of women’s 200m breaststroke are incorrect – appear to have transposed the mens 200m fly there!! Otherwise an excellent article, and what strength in depth there is in world junior swimming

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