Kazan 2021, Day 4 Heats: Toussaint And Szabo Safely Through: 200 Free NR For Popovici

Kira Toussaint: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala

Kira Toussaint and Szebasztian Szabo returned the morning after title-winning exploits to safely negotiate the heats at the European Short-Course Championships in Kazan, Russia.

Women’s 100 Backstroke

Toussaint won a highly-charged 200 back on Wednesday evening and returned to lead the way in the 100 in 56.67 as she seeks to defend her title.

Maria Kameneva was next through in 56.76, the Russian the 2019 silver medallist, with Silvia Scala also in the mix in 57.15.

Men’s 200 Free

None of the 2019 medallists lined up for the race and it was Ivan Girev of Russia who led the way in 1:42.77 ahead of the Netherlands’ Stan Pijnenburg who clocked 1:42.91, the pair the only men inside 1:43.

Matteo Ciampi was third through in 1:43.14 with David Popovici through in Romanian record of 1:43.43, cutting 0.15 from the mark he set last week at the World Cup in the very same pool.

Kristof Milak didn’t start despite having entered.

Women’s 100 Fly

All the Glasgow medallists have returned for this race with Elena Di Liddo, who won silver in 2019, the only woman inside 57secs in 56.91.

Svetlana Chimrova, who won the 200 fly on Wednesday, clocked 57.12 with Sarah Sjostrom (57.19), Glasgow bronze medallist Anna Ntountounaki (57.61) and 2019 champion Anastasia Shkurdai (57.74) safely into the semis.

Men’s 200 Breaststroke

Mikhail Dorinov was the only man inside 2:03 in 2:02.88 ahead of 2019 champion Arno Kamminga, fresh from his bronze over 100, in 2:03.98.

Aleksandr Zhigalov (2:04.53) and Glasgow silver medallist Erik Persson (2:04.98) are joined by Ilya Shymanovich, who was second over 100, and 2019 bronze medallist Marco Koch.

Women’s 200IM

A new champion will be crowned in the absence of Katinka Hosszu with 2019 runner-up Maria Ugolkova heading the field in 2:09.23.

Anastasia Gorbenko, who became the first Israeli woman to win a European title at the long-course showcase in May, joined her on 2:09.51

Viktoria Gunes, who won the 400IM, was also safely through.

Men’s 50 Fly

Szabo is having a fine meet with two golds so far and he was fastest through in 22.22, just 0.07 off Johannes Dietrich’s championship record of 22.07 from December 2009 as the super-suited era drew to a close.

The Hungarian won silver in Glasgow and he will be joined by Matteo Rivolta (22.47), Daniel Zaitsev and 2019 bronze medallist Uemitcan Gueres.

Oleg Kostin, who won the title in Glasgow, didn’t start and Michele Lamberti once again missed out under the two-per-nation rule.

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