Lana Pudar Returns After Record-Breaking 100 Fly Gold To Launch 200 Defence At European Juniors

Lana Pudar: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi/LEN

Lana Pudar Returns After Record-Breaking 100 Fly Gold To Launch 200 Defence At European Juniors

Lana Pudar returned to the pool after her record-breaking 100 fly victory as she took her first steps in the defence of her 200 crown at the European Juniors.

Pudar won the 100 fly title in a championship record and Bosnian standard of 56.95 on Thursday evening, a year after finishing second at last year’s European Juniors.

Not only did she take the 200 title at the 2022 edition in 2:08.92 but Pudar then went on to take European gold at 16 in a national record of 2:06.81 at the Foro Italico in Rome.

Now 17, Pudar returned to the pool to go 2:09.85 to comfortably head the prelims with Germany’s Alina Baievych next home in 2:11.59.

Nikolett Padar has already claimed three golds and one silver medal so far in Belgrade and the defending champion negotiated the 100 free heats, going 56.07 for the fifth-fastest time.

Sara Curtis: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi/LEN

Marina Cacciapuoti of Italy led the way in 55.75 ahead of Padar’s fellow Hungarian Dora Molnar (55.82), Lithuanian Smilte Plytnykaite (55.87) and Italian 50 champion Sara Curtis.

The two-per-nation rule at the European Juniors meant there’s no place in the semis for Matilde Biagotti or Cristina Stevanato – both members of the Italian 4×100 free girls’ squad that won gold on the opening night – nor Lilla Minna Abraham or Lili Gyurinovics, who won silver with Hungary.

Emir Batur Albayrak won bronze behind Turkish teammate Kuzey Tuncelli and Vlad Stancu of Romania on Thursday evening.

Come Friday morning and he booked lane four for the final in 7:58.00 ahead of Tuncelli (7:58.83) and 200 champion Petar Mitsin (8:01.45) with 2022 silver medallist Stancu next through in 8:02.18.

Marian Ploeger – 1500 bronze medallist – led the girls’ 800 prelims in 8:39.41, 0.09 ahead of defending champion Merve Tuncel, winner of the longest race in the pool, as the Turkish swimmer clocked 8:39.50.

Oleksii Hrabarov of Ukraine heads the boys’ 400IM in 4:24.35 ahead of Emanuele Potenza (4:24.40).

Denmark – featuring a 52.04 fly leg from Casper Puggaard and a 1:01.89 breaststroke by Jonas Gaur – led the mixed medley relay in 3:52.66 ahead of Italy (3:54.04) and Spain (3:55.95).

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