Kristóf Rasovszky Sets National 800 Free Record: Kristof Milak Wins Fourth Gold At Hungarian Short-Course Championships

kristof rasovszky
David Betelehem, Kristof Rasovszky & Zalan Sarkany: Photo Courtesy: musz.hu

Kristóf Rasovszky set a national 800 freestyle record of 7:39.21 and Kristof Milak claimed his fourth gold of the meet in the 100 fly as the Hungarian Short-Course Championships concluded in Kaposvár.

The Olympic 10k silver medallist had finished second behind Dávid Betlehem in the 1500 on day two and was 0.06 adrift after 500m on Saturday.

However, a 29.16 50 propelled Rasovszky ahead by the 550 mark and although he extended his lead, he had to hold off a last-50 charge by Betlehem to touch in the new Hungarian mark, lowering Gergely Gyurta‘s 2018 record of 7:39.56.

Betlehem was also inside the old record in 7:39.54 with Zalán Sárkány third in 7:43.06, both of them born in 2003 and promising much for the future.

Rasovszky  told the Hungarian federation at musz.hu:

“I really wanted to win today, because I have to show the young people that I’m here too, even if it’s getting harder to deal with them, Dávid (Betlehem) in particular, but Zalán (Sárkány) is also getting better and better.

“I am happy with the record, although I think it was the first 800 of Gyurta Gege’s 1500 record, and I should swim even better times in the future, both for me and for Dávid.

“Maybe based on the 1500, he seemed to have a better chance, but I think that today I swam smarter and more routinely.

“It was essential that I had to go ahead, because he is faster in the last 50-100, so I only had a chance if I was the first to take the lead.”

MILAK Kristof HUN 200m Butterfly Men Semifinal Swimming FINA 19th World Championships Budapest 2022 Budapest, Duna Arena 20/06/22 Photo Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Kristof Milak: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Milak had been targeting Laszlo Cseh‘s 100 fly record of 49.33 set in 2015 but he slipped at the wall at the 75m mark and fell short in 49.56 (22.76/26.80).

Szebasztian Szabo was second in 50.21 and Richard Marton third in 51.13.

Milak finished with golds in the 100 and 200 fly and 100 and 200 free.

He said:

“I wanted to swim a national record, but it went away on my third lap, which I regret.

“I didn’t feel so confident about the pace……but I could still have succeeded, because by the fourth day I felt that I was really getting in shape.

“This is when the serious part begins at a world competition, the weak begin to fall, and the strong reach the top – of course, we are really preparing for them, now I did it with momentum.”

Panna Ugrai won the women’s equivalent for her third gold of the meet in 57.96 while Bettina Fábián made it two titles with victory in the 800 free in 8:25.67 following 400 gold.

Ádám Telegdy finished first in the 200 backstroke after taking the 200IM title.

Dara Molnar, who won world bronze in Budapest before going on to claim four golds at the world juniors, won the women’s 200 back 2:06.10.

Olivér Gál (27.45) and Anna Sztankovics (30.58) won their respective 50br races.

 

 

 

 

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