{"id":455005,"date":"2020-11-21T09:06:11","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T16:06:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=455005"},"modified":"2020-12-01T11:11:24","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T18:11:24","slug":"kliment-kolesnikov-scorches-to-world-record-of-48-58-in-100m-backstroke-on-medley-lead-off","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/kliment-kolesnikov-scorches-to-world-record-of-48-58-in-100m-backstroke-on-medley-lead-off\/","title":{"rendered":"Flash! Kliment Kolesnikov Scorches To World Record Of 48.58 In 100m Backstroke"},"content":{"rendered":"

It had already been an astonishing session when the last race of day one of the ISL final got under way at the Duna Arena<\/strong> – and Kliment Kolesnikov<\/strong> was about to write his own entry into the history books.<\/p>\n

The Russian had given a hint of what was to come when he split 45.25 on the second leg as Energy Standard<\/strong> won the 4×100 free.<\/p>\n

Come the lead-off in the medley relay and the Russian was simply devastating.<\/p>\n

It was Ryan Murphy who was first at halfway, going out in 23.76 to Kolesnikov’s 23.80 but it was on the second 50 that the latter accelerated away.<\/p>\n

Length, balance, posture and technique all aligned and a time of 24.78 saw him ease past Murphy – a triple Olympic champion, remember – to stop the clock in 48.58.<\/p>\n

\"kliment-kolesnikov-energy-standard\"

Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu \/ ISL<\/p><\/div>\n

He ripped off his Energy cap and slapped the water.\u00a0“A. New. World. Record.” roared Bernie Guenther<\/strong> and Rowdy Gaines<\/strong> in commentary. And then some.<\/p>\n

The 20-year-old had cut an almighty 0.30secs from the previous mark of 48.88 set by Xu Jiayu<\/strong> at the Tokyo leg of the World Cup in 2018.<\/p>\n

Kolesnikov’s previous best of 48.90 was also the European record – a time he had done when aged just 17 at the Vladimir Salnikov Cup<\/strong> in St Petersburg, Russia, in December 2017.<\/p>\n

Behind him some 0.78secs adrift was Murphy who touched in 49.36.<\/p>\n

Of Kolesnikov’s record, Murphy told the ISL:<\/p>\n

“I’m bummed I couldn’t see it because I was touching 0.8 behind him.<\/p>\n

“That guy’s a beast and he did really good there so that’s really awesome to see as well.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite being only 20 and with plenty more to come, Kolesnikov has a roll call which would take up quite some room on one of those long arms on his 6ft 5ins body.<\/p>\n

There were four golds and two silvers at the 2017 European short-course followed by a glittering 2018.<\/p>\n

Less than a month after turning 18, he won three gold medals – including the 50 and 100 back double – two silvers and a bronze at the European Championships in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

Then on to Buenos Aires and the Youth Olympics where he made six trips to the top of the podium.<\/p>\n

At the 2019 worlds in Gwangju, Kolesnikov took bronze in the 50 back and men’s 4×100 medley relay as well as silver with the men’s 4×100 free where he split 47.5.<\/p>\n

He concluded the year with six golds at the European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

World Record Progression (Last 20 Years)<\/strong><\/p>\n