2017 World Junior Championships: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

6TH FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, August 23 – Monday, August 28, 2017
• 50-Meter Course
• Indianapolis (USA)
• Heats 9:30 am EDT / Semifinals and Finals 6 pm EDT (GMT-5)
• Meet Central
• Meet info
• Schedule
• Entries book
• Omega results
• TV/Webcast schedule (USA)
• Live stream NBC Sports
• Live stream FINA (Heats and finals, for subscribers only. Not available in USA, Guam, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Brazil, South Africa, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Brunei, China)
• Live stream FINA YouTube (Heats only, free of charge)

Tonight in Indianapolis we’ll have five more finals and four rounds of semi-finals at the 6th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships.

This morning American Michael Andrew broke a pair of junior world records in the 50 back and 50 free, and we’ll see him in action in the semi-finals of both as he’ll look to lower his marks of 24.63 and 21.75.

Fresh off a junior world record of her own in the 100 back, Regan Smith is the huge favorite for gold in the women’s 200 back and has a great shot at breaking Australian Kaylee McKeown‘s WJR in that event.

Hungarian Kristof Milak will chase his own record of 50.62 in the men’s 100 fly final where he’s the massive favorite, and we’ll also see finals in the women’s 100 free, the mixed 4×100 free relay, and the fastest heat of the men’s 800 free.

Along with the men’s 50 free and back, we’ll also have semi-finals of the women’s 50 fly and 100 breast.

You can find full relay lineups for the mixed free here. Milak and Nandor Nemeth will swim for the Hungarians, and the Americans have made three exchanges switching in Daniel Krueger, Lucie Nordmann and Grace Ariola. The Canadians stick with the same lineup as this morning, which includes Taylor Ruck going third and Penny Oleksiak swimming the anchor.

Women’s 50 Fly Semi-Finals

• WJR: 25.50, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2016
• CR: 26.28, Rikako Ikee (JPN), 2015
• Start List

1. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 25.77
2. Sara Junevik, SWE, 26.19
3. Anastasiya Shkurdai, BLR, 26.35
4. Sayuki Ouchi, JPN, 26.62
5. Rebecca Smith, CAN, 26.64
6. Maya Tobehn, GER, 26.98
7. Hanna Rosvall, SWE, 27.00
8. Emily Large, GBR, 27.18

Junior world record holder Rikako Ikee threw down a 25.77 in the first semi of the women’s 50 fly, breaking her own championship record of 26.28 set in 2015 when she won gold.

Canadian Rebecca Smith and German Maya Tobehn also broke 27 from that semi in 26.64 and 26.98, ultimately qualifying them 5th and 6th for tomorrow’s final.

A tight battle in the second semi saw Sweden’s Sara Junevik out-touch Belarusian Anastasiya Shkurdai 26.19 to 26.35, as the two qualify 2nd and 3rd for the final. Japan’s Sayuki Ouchi was 3rd in 26.62, and Junevik’s teammate Hanna Rosvall also qualified from the semi in 27.00.

After placing 16th this morning, 200 fly gold medalist Emily Large got herself into the fly in 8th, clocking 27.18.

Men’s 50 Free Semi-Finals

• WJR: 21.75, Michael Andrew (USA), 2017
• CR: 21.75, Michael Andrew (USA), 2017
• Start List

1. Michael Andrew, USA, 21.79
2. Maxime Grousset, FRA, 22.32
3. Alberto Mestre, VEN, 22.38
4. Leonardo Deplano, ITA, 22.44
5. Ruslan Gaziev, CAN, 22.46
6. Nandor Nemeth, HUN, 22.55
7. Will Davis, USA, 22.67
8. Karol Ostrowski, POL, 22.72

Michael Andrew backed up his record-breaking 21.75 swim this morning with a 21.79 from the second semi, qualifying him first for tomorrow’s final by over half a second.

Following him in the second semi was Venezuela’s Alberto Mestre, who lowers the national record in 22.38 for 3rd overall. Canadian Ruslan Gaziev was 3rd and qualifies 5th overall in 22.46.

Maxime Grousset of France won the first semi in 22.32 and qualifies 2nd, and Leonardo Deplano (22.44) of Italy and Nandor Nemeth (22.55) of Hungary followed for 4th and 6th overall.

American Will Davis and Poland’s Karol Ostrowski round out the eight finalists. Brazil’s Luiz Gustavo Borges was just .01 behind Ostrowski for 9th (22.73), and Great Britain’s Lewis Burras was DQed for a false start.

Women’s 200 Back Final

• WJR: 2:06.76, Kaylee McKeown (AUS), 2017
• CR: 2:09.07, Regan Smith (USA), 2017
• Start List

1. Regan Smith, USA, 2:07.45
2. Alexandra Sumner, USA, 2:09.04
3. Natsumi Sakai, JPN, 2:09.34

Regan Smith led from the start and dominated the field in the women’s 200 back final, winning in a time of 2:07.45 to lower her meet record from this morning by over a second and a half. She was half a second ahead of her personal best pace at the 150, but slowed a bit over the final 50 to just miss the 2:07.19 mark she set in Budapest.

Smith is the first swimmer to win two individual gold medals at the competition.

Her teammate Alexandra Sumner moved up from 5th at the 100 to ultimately 2nd in 2:09.04, also going under the previous meet record. Japan’s Natsumi Sakai battled Sumner to the wall and ended up just behind in 2:09.34 for bronze.

Russians Polina Egorova (2:10.04) and Anastasia Avdeeva (2:10.11) took 4th and 5th.

Men’s 100 Fly Final

• WJR: 50.62, Kristof Milak (HUN), 2017
• CR: 52.23, Andrei Minakov (RUS), 2017
• Start List

1. Kristof Milak, HUN, 51.08
2. Egor Kuimov, RUS, 51.16
3. Andrei Minakov, RUS, 51.84

World Championship silver medalist Kristof Milak was out quick in 23.87, and managed to fend off Russia’s Egor Kuimov down the stretch to win gold in the men’s 100 fly in 51.08. He lowers the meet record of 52.23 set by the other Russian, Andrei Minakov, in the semi-finals.

Out in lane 8, Kuimov was just two tenths back of Milak at the turn and made up ground coming home, finishing just .08 back in 51.16 to destroy his previous best. Minakov held 3rd the entire race and wins bronze in 51.84, as all three go below his meet record from last night.

There was a clear divide between the medalists and the rest, as 4th place Shinnosuke Ishikawa of Japan was a full second behind Minakov in 52.84.

Women’s 100 Breast Semi-Finals

• WJR: 1:05.21, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2014
• CR: 1:06.61, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2013
• Start List

1. Faith Knelson, CAN, 1:07.51
2. Mona McSharry, IRL, 1:07.79
3. Zoe Bartel, USA, 1:08.19
4. Emily Weiss, USA, 1:08.42
5. Anastasia Makarova, RUS, 1:08.47
6. Alena Chekhovskikh, RUS, 1:09.19
7. Hannah Brunzell, SWE, 1:09.33
8. Laia Fernandez, ESP, 1:09.52

Canada’s Faith Knelson posted a new personal best time of 1:07.51 to lead the women’s 100 breast semis, winning the first heat over American Zoe Bartel (1:08.19) and Russia’s Anastasia Makarova (1:08.47).

Ireland’s Mona McSharry then equalled her prelim swim in 1:07.79 from semi #2, moving on to the final in 2nd. 50 breast gold medalist Emily Weiss took 2nd in the heat in 1:08.42 for 4th overall.

Alena Chekhovskikh (1:09.19) joins her fellow Russian Makarova in tomorrow’s final in 6th, and Sweden’s Hannah Brunzell and Spain’s Laia Fernandez round out the finalists. The battle for medals was expected to come between the two Americans, the Canadian and the Irishwoman, but Makarova’s 1:08.47 puts her in the conversation.

Men’s 50 Back Semi-Finals

• WJR: 24.63, Michael Andrew (USA), 2017
• CR: 24.63, Michael Andrew (USA), 2017
• Start List

1. Michael Andrew, USA, 24.67
2. Hugo Gonzalez, ESP, 25.40
3. Daniel Martin, ROU / Kacper Stokowski, POL, 25.49
4. –
5. Conor Ferguson, IRL, 25.62
6. Kamir Kazmierczak, POL, 25.72
7. Gleb Karasev, RUS, 25.78
8. Nicolas Albiero, USA, 25.90

Just like the 50 free, Michael Andrew was a few one-hundredths off of his junior world record from the prelims in the 50 back, clocking 24.67 to qualify first for the final by a country kilometer.

Romania’s Daniel Martin and Poland’s Kacper Stokowski tied for 2nd behind him in the second semi, ultimately qualifying for the final in a tie for 3rd at 25.49.

The other five finalists came from semi-final 1, led by 100 back gold medalist Hugo Gonzalez of Spain in 25.40. Conor Ferguson (25.62) of Ireland, Kamir Kazmierczak (25.72) of Poland, Gleb Karasev (25.78) of Russia and Nicolas Albiero (25.90) of the U.S. also advanced to the final from the heat.

Great Britain’s Nicholas Pyle just missed out in 9th in a time of 25.92.

Women’s 100 Free Final

• WJR: 52.70, Penny Oleksiak (CAN), 2016
• Meet: 53.92, Taylor Ruck (CAN), 2015
• Start List

1. Freya Anderson, GBR, 53.88
2. Rikako Ikee, JPN, 54.16
3. Kayla Sanchez, CAN, 54.44

Britain’s Freya Anderson out-classed a very close women’s 100 free field on the second 50, closing in 27.19 to win gold in a new championship record time of 53.88. She breaks the mark set by Taylor Ruck in 2015 at 53.92.

Japan’s Rikako Ikee also closed well in 27.33, taking silver in 54.16 after turning 7th at the halfway mark. Kayla Sanchez of Canada took bronze in 54.44, just ahead of teammate Rebecca Smith (54.63).

Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova finished 5th in 54.78, edging out early leader Sayuki Ouchi (54.91) of Japan.

Men’s 800 Free Timed Final

• WJR: 7:45.67, Mack Horton (AUS), 2013
• CR: 7:45.67, Mack Horton (AUS), 2013
• Start List (Fastest Heat)

1. Andrew Abruzzo, USA, 7:54.58
2. David Lakatos, HUN, 7:56.81
3. Michael Brinegar, USA, 7:57.22

American Andrew Abruzzo joins Regan Smith as a double inidividual gold medalist here in Indianapolis, as he follows up his 400 free win on night 1 with another in the 800 free.

He led the race early with Jacob Vincent, turning at the 400 just behind the Aussie in 3:58.99, but really did his damange on the back half. Abruzzo negative split the race with a 3:55.59 on the second 400 to run away from the field and win gold in a personal best of 7:54.58.

As Vincent returned to the pack, the other American Michael Brinegar moved into 2nd and looked to have the silver medal in his grasp. However, Hungary’s David Lakatos exploded for a 26.87 final 50 to overtake him and place 2nd in 7:56.81, with Brinegar winning bronze in 7:57.22. They both went best times as well.

Iaroslav Potapov was the fourth man sub-8:00 in 7:59.69, and Hungary’s Akos Kalmar (8:00.28) overtook Vincent on the final 50 for 5th with the Australian 6th in 8:01.28.

Poland’s Antoni Kaluzynski and Marcos Gil Corbacho of Spain earn top-8 finishes from the fourth heat, swam this morning, in 7th and 8th.

MIXED 4×100 FREE RELAY FINAL

• WJR: 3:27.71, Canada, 2015
• CR: 3:27.71, Canada, 2015
• Start List

1. Canada, 3:26.65
2. United States, 3:28.17
3. Australia, 3:28.57

In a replay of last night’s mixed medley relay, the Canadians came from behind to win gold in the mixed 400 free relay in a time of 3:26.65, giving them another junior world record.

Ruslan Gaziev led them off in a best time of 49.99, but after distance swimmer Alexander Pratt‘s leg (50.95) they were 8th in the field. But with Taylor Ruck and Penny Oleksiak on their back half, they didn’t have to worry.

Ruck posted the fastest female split in the field at 52.72, moving them up into 4th, and then Oleksiak anchored in 52.99 as they ended up winning by a second and a half. They defend their title and break their record of 3:27.71 set in 2015.

The Americans hung around the lead the entire race, and managed to hold off the Hungarians for silver in 3:28.17 with solid splits all around from Daniel Krueger (49.36), Matthew Willenbring (49.19), Lucie Nordmann (54.72) and Grace Ariola (54.90).

The Hungarians touched 3rd, but after a review they were disqualified for an early take-off from their anchor. They had led the race heading into that exchange, thanks to the top split of the field from Nandor Nemeth (48.05).

After the DQ Australia moved up to bronze in 3:28.57, with Eliza King (54.80) overtaking the Russians on the final leg. They led early with a swift 48.64 lead-off from 200 free champion Ivan Girev. Brazil, who took 5th, also had a notable 48.93 split from Breno Correia.