Simonas Bilis Holds Off Danas Rapsys in 100 Free at Lithuanian Champs

Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL

27-year-old Simonas Bilis won the 100 freestyle on Friday night at the Lithuanian Championships in Klaipėda in a head to head win over Danas Rapsys with a 49.16 to Rapsys’ 49.25. Bilis and Rapsys teamed together last month in the International Swimming League for Energy Standard where the team finished second in the grand final to the Cali Condors.

Results

The pair may also team together to potentially try and qualify a freestyle relay for Lithuania to the Olympic Games. 17-year-old Daniil Pancerevas broke the 17 age record with a 50.22 while Jokubas Keblys was fourth at 50.25. Lithuania did qualify a men’s medley relay at the 2016 Olympics.

Andrius Sidlauskas raced Giedrius Titenis in the 100 breaststroke to start the session with Sidlauskas winning at 59.83 to Titenis’ 59.92 as Sidlauskas is now ranked 12th in the world for 2020. Both swimmers were able to get under the Olympic A standard of 59.93 which should solidify their places on the plane to Tokyo as both swimmers raced the 100 breast in Rio with Titenis finishing tenth in the semi finals and Sidlauskas getting 23rd in the heats.

Titenis has swum in the last three Olympics as he was 12th in the 100 breast in 2008 and was eighth in the same event in 2012.

Other winners on the night came from Nojus Skirutis in the 400 IM (4:38.77), Marija Romanovskaja in the 400 IM (5:17.25), Deividas Margevicius and Erika Pasakinskaite in the 200 butterfly (2:01.96, 2:21.85) and Smilte Plytnykaite in the 100 freestyle (57.86).

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