19-Yr-Old Stepanov Produces SCM 800 Free Russian Record – 7:34.58

2023 RUSSIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

• November 20th – November 25th
• St. Petersburg, Russia
• SCM (25m)
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
• Results

Day four of the 2023 Russian Short Course Championships brought another national record, this time at the hands of Aleksandr Stepanov.

Racing in the men’s 800m freestyle final, 19-year-old Stepanov fired off a time of 7:34.58 to get to the wall first. He beat out Kirill Martynychev who snagged silver in 7:36.75 while Saveliy Luzin bagged bronze in 7:41.04.

For Stepanov, the teen’s outing this evening overtook the previous Russian standard of 7:35.97. Aleksandr Egorov put that mark on the books en route to placing 4th in the men’s 800m free at the 2021 European Championships.

Entering this competition, Stepanov’s lifetime best rested at the 7:39.65 he posted at these same championships last year, with the meet also representing the 2022 Solidarity Games.

Now, Stepanov ranks 5th in the world on the season in one of the most competitive men’s events heading into the European Short Course Championships.

Tonight’s record represents the 2nd national mark for Stepanov. At the Russian Long Course Championships in April, he also logged a new record in the 800m free, producing a big-time result of 7:42.47 to check in as the 16th-fastest man in history. His SCM 800 free renders him just outside the top 20 performers all time in the event.