2017 World University Games: Day 3 Finals Live Recap

29TH WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES (SUMMER UNIVERSIADE 2017)

• Sunday, August 20-Sunday, August 20, 2017
• 50-Meter Course
• Taipei, Taiwan
• National Taiwan Sport University Arena
• Meet Info
• Webcast schedule
• Results

It’s day 3 of the Summer Universiade (also known as the World University Games) in Taipei, and tonight’s finals session schedule is loaded with big events.

We’ll feature finals of the men’s mile, men’s 200 free, women’s 100 breast, women’s 100 free and men’s 200 IM, plus additional semifinals of the men’s 200 breast, women’s 200 IM, men’s 200 fly, women’s 100 back and men’s 50 back.

Keep refreshing this page for live, event-by-event updates from Taipei, and follow @SwimSwamLive on Twitter for more up-to-the-second highlights of all the swimming action.

MEN’S 1500M FREESTYLE – Final

• WR: 14:31.02 – YANG SUN (People’s Republic of China), LONDON (GBR), 04 Aug 2012
• WUG: 14:51.06 – STANCZYK PREMYSLAW (Poland), BELGRADE (SRB), 09 Jul 2009

Top 3:

• GOLD – Gregorio Paltrinier (ITA) – 14:47.75
• SILVER – Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR) – 14:57.51
• BRONZE – Gergely Gyurta (HUN) – 15:01.11

Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri has been crushing the world in the men’s 1500 for the past four years, and he’ll cap this summer season with yet another gold. Paltrinieri has won every major international meet since 2014, dating back to European Championships in 2014 and including World Championships in 2015 and 2017, plus the Olympics in 2016. He adds the 2017 World University Games, going 14:47.75 to smash the World University Games record.

He and Ukraine’s Mykhailo Romanchuk separated from the field early, and Romanchuk wound up second in 14:57.51

In an entertaining battle for bronze, Hungary’s Gergely Gyurta made a nice move late to put himself out front of the pack, sneaking in for the final medal with a 15:01.11.

Just behind him was Japan’s Shinyo Nakaya (15:03.06), Great Britain’s Jay Lelliott (15:06.51) and Team USA’s PJ Ransford (15:11.42), each of whom was in the medal hunt at one point. Lelliott’s teammate Tobias Robinson was 7th in 15:11.46 and top prelims swimmer Domenico Acerenza struggled to back up his sub-15-minute heats swim, fading to 8th in 15:12.02.

MEN’S 200M BREASTSTROKE – Semifinals

• WR: 2:06.67 – WATANABE IPPEI (Japan), TOKYO (JPN), 28 Jan 2016
• WUG: 2:08.73 – BORYSIK IGOR (Ukraine), BELGRADE (SRB), 08 Jul 2009

Top 8:

1. Gadirov (RUS) – 2:09.87
2. Dorinov (RUS) – 2:10.31
3. Balandin (KAZ)/Licon (USA) – 2:10.51
4. —
5. Wilson (USA) – 2:10.73
6. Okubo (JPN) – 2:11.04
7. Kaser (SUI) – 2:12.30
8. Mori (JPN) – 2:12.38

It was a Russian-dominated semifinals of men’s 200 breaststroke. Mikhail Dorinov won the opening semifinal in 2:10.31, but his countryman Rustam Gadirov topped that time in the second semi with a 2:09.87. Those two sit atop the standings heading into tomorrow night’s final.

2016 Olympic champ Dmitriy Balandin tied for third with American Will Licon, both men going 2:10.51, and they’ll flank the Russians tomorrow. Licon’s American teammate Andrew Wilson was fifth in 2:10.73.

It was an event marked by national duos, with the Russians, Americans and Japanese qualifying two apiece for the final. Rintaro Okubo and Mamoru Mori take 6th and 8th for Japan, finishing right around Switzerland’s Yannick Kaser.

WOMEN’S 200M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Semifinals

• WR: 2:06.12 – HOSSZU KATINKA (Hungary), KAZAN (RUS), 03 Aug 2015
• WUG: 2:12.07 – OHLGREN AVA (United States of America), BELGRADE (SRB), 08 Jul 2009

Top 8:

1. Ohashi (JPN) – 2:12.17
2. Teramura (JPN) – 2:12.41
3. Darcel (CAN) – 2:12.66
4. Eastin (USA) – 2:12.70
5. Verraszto (HUN) – 2:13.14
6. Kim (KOR) – 2:14.19
7. Zavadova (CZE) – 2:14.53
8. Forde (USA) – 2:14.70

Ella Eastin dominated the first semifinal, but the second semi saw a tight three-swimmer battle where all three outdid Eastin’s time to beat. Japan’s Yui Ohashi closed hard to pick up the win in 2:12.17, roaring by her teammate Miho Teramura (2:12.41) late. Canada’s Sarah Darcel was right in the middle of the two and wound up third in 2:12.66. They’ll all go to work together in the middle of the pool for finals, with Eastin now in the mix as well.

Hungary’s Evelyn Verraszto finished fifth, also out of that second semi along with Korean Kim Seoyeong. Barbara Zavadova and American Brooke Forde round out the championship final, narrowly edging Russia’s Kristina Vershinina.

MEN’S 200M FREESTYLE – Final

• WR: 1:42.00 – BIEDERMANN PAUL (Germany), ROME (ITA), 26 Jul 2009
• WUG: 1:44.87 – IZOTOV DANILA (Russian Federation), KAZAN (RUS), 11 Jul 2013

Top 3:

• GOLD – Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 1:45.75
• SILVER – Kacper Majchrzak (POL) – 1:46.19
• BRONZE – Mikhail Vekovishchev (RUS) – 1:46.48

In a thriller of a 200 free final, Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys careened into the wall a tick ahead of a hard-charging field, going 1:45.75 to pick up the win and lower his own Lithuanian record. In a very tight pack of leaders, Poland’s Kacper Majchrzak was second and Russia’s good night continued with a bronze from Mikhail Vekovishchev.

Italy’s Filippo Megli was three tenths out of another medal for Italy, and South Africa’s Myles Brown led in the second pack of finishers about a second back.

Mitch D’Arrigo used to be an Italian national, but now represents the United States. He took 6th in 1:47.85, a tenth back of Brown. Japanese star Kosuke Hagino faded to 7th in 1:48.13, perhaps a victim of his own brutal event schedule here in Taipei. France’s Jonathan Atsu rounded out the top 8 in 1:48.41.

WOMEN’S 100M BREASTSTROKE – Final

• WR: 1:04.13 – KING LILLY (United States of America), BUDAPEST (HUN), 25 Jul 2017
• WUG: 1:05.48 – EFIMOVA IULIA (Russian Federation), KAZAN (RUS), 12 Jul 2013

Top 3:

• GOLD – Kanako Watanabe (JPN) – 1:06.85
• SILVER – Rena Aoki (JPN) – 1:07.36
• BRONZE – Andee Cottrell (USA) – 1:07.37

Japan’s duo of Kanako Watanabe and Rena Aoki surged late to pass up the field and pull of a 1-2 for their nation. Watanabe crushed the field by half a second on an extremely-last-second burst, going 1:06.85. Aoki was 1:07.36 for silver.

They topped American Andee Cottrell, who was 1:07.37 for bronze, just .01 back of the hard-charging Aoki.

It was a very tight finish at the top, with South Africa’s Tatjana Schenmaker finishing .07 out of the medals in 1:07.44 and American Miranda Tucker going 1:07.90 for fifth.

Australia’s Leiston “LJ” Pickett was 1:08.21, touching out Russian Mariia Temnikova (1:08.29) for 7th, and Korea’s Kim Hyejin wound up 8th in 1:09.24.

MEN’S 200M BUTTERFLY – Semifinals

• WR: 1:51.51 – PHELPS MICHAEL (United States of America), ROME (ITA), 29 Jul 2009
• WUG: 1:54.30 – KORZENIOWSKI PAWEL (Poland), BELGRADE (SRB), 08 Jul 2009

Top 8:

1. Seto (JPN) – 1:56.14
2. Biczo (HUN) – 1:56.32
3. Horomura (JPN) – 1:56.61
4. Pribytok (RUS) – 1:56.73
5. De Deus (BRA) – 1:57.10
6. Wright (USA) – 1:57.27
7. Kudashev (RUS) – 1:57.37
8. Giacomo Carini (ITA) – 1:58.00

The top two finishers came from the second semifinal, but 6 of the top 8 came from the first semi, which turned out to be deeper and might tightly-packed at the finish.

Japan’s Diaya Seto is into the final with the top seed, nipping Hungary’s Bence Biczo at the wall 1:56.14 to 1:56.32 to win the second semi. His teammate Nao Horomura won the opening semi in 1:56.61 to push Japan to its fourth win in the last five heats.

He eked out that heat win over Russia’s Aleksandr Probytok (1:56.73) and Brazil’s Leonardo de Deus (1:57.10).

American Justin Wright snuck in with a 1:57.27, but his teammate Zach Harting was 9th. Russia also got its second entrant in, with Aleksandr Kudashev taking 7th, and Italy’s Giacomo Carini was the last man in, going 1:58-flat for 8th.

WOMEN’S 100M FREESTYLE – Final

• WR: 51.71 – SJOSTROM SARAH (Sweden), BUDAPEST (HUN), 23 Jul 2017
• WUG: 53.50 – HERASIMENIA ALIAKSANDRA (Belarus), KAZAN (RUS), 12 Jul 2013

Top 3:

• GOLD – Siobhan Haughey (HKG) – 54.10
• SILVER – Mariia Kameneva (RUS) – 54.37
• BRONZE – Arina Openysheva (RUS) – 54.89

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey rolled to a 54.10 win in the 100 free, holding off a fast-charging Mariia Kameneva of Russia (54.37). The win marks Hong Kong’s first medal of these World University Games.

Russia swept the minor medals, with Arina Openysheva coming in behind Kameneva in 54.89. Canada’s Katerine Savard was a tick away from breaking up that Russian run, taking 4th in 54.98.

Brazil’s Larissa Oliveira touched out American Veronica Burchill 55.00 to 55.04 for fifth, and then Aglaia Pezzato of Italy tied American Caroline Baldwin at 55.35 for 8th.

MEN’S 200M INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – Final

• WR: 1:54.00 – LOCHTE RYAN (United States of America), SHANGHAI (CHN), 28 Jul 2011
• WUG: 1:57.58 – VANDERKAAY ALEX (United States of America), BELGRADE (SRB), 07 Jul 2009

Top 3:

• GOLD – Kosuke Hagino (JPN) – 1:57.35
• SILVER – Daiya Seto (JPN) – 1:58.73
• BRONZE – Joe Litchfield (GBR) – 1:59.36

Kosuke Hagino had a difficult run in the 200 free, but went out fast to earn some redemption in the 200 IM. Hagino crushed the field early with aggressive fly and back legs and held off his Japanese teammate Daiya Seto for the gold and a new World University Games/Universiade record. Hagino was 1:57.35, topping Seto by 1.5 seconds.

Meanwhile Great Britain earned its second medal of these Games when Joe Litchfield broke two minutes for the first time in his career, going 1:59.36 for bronze behind the Japanese.

Russia went 4-5, with Andrey Zhilkin (2:00.26) and Aleksandr Osipenko (2:01.11). Osipenko narrowly eked out that spot over Poland’s Michal Poprawa (2:01.17).

Italy’s Giovanni Sorriso was 2:01.35 and Kenneth To went 2:01.64 for Hong Kong.

WOMEN’S 100M BACKSTROKE – Semifinals

• WR: 58.10 – MASSE KYLIE (Canada), BUDAPEST (HUN), 25 Jul 2017
• WUG: 59.83 – ZUEVA ANASTASIA (Russian Federation), KAZAN (RUS), 13 Jul 2013

Top 8:

1. Deloof (USA) – 1:00.52
2. Whittaker (AU) – 1:00.53
3. Toussaint (NED) – 1:00.61
4. Zevnik (CAN) – 1:00.62
5. Konishi (JPN) – 1:00.69
6. Stevens (USA) – 1:00.76
7. Lapshina (RUS) – 1:01.04
8. Zofkova (ITA) – 1:01.05

A stellar second semifinal put up 6 of the top 8 times, led by 200 back champ Sian Whittaker of Australia. Her 1:00.53 holds up as the second-best time of the semifinals, behind only heat 1 winner Ali Deloof‘s 1:00.52.

Kira Toussaint very nearly beat Whittaker in the second semi, winding up third overall in 1:00.61, with Canada’s Alexia Zevnik fourth in 1:00.62 and Japan’s Anna Konishi just a few hundredth back in 1:00.69.

American Hannah Stevens makes the final with a 1:00.76, and even the 5th- and 6th-place finishers from that heat moved on to the final: Polina Lapshina of Russia and Italy’s Carlotta Zofkova.

MEN’S 50M BACKSTROKE – Semifinals

• WR: 24.04 – TANCOCK LIAM (United Kingdom of G. B. & N. I.), ROME (ITA), 02 Aug 2009
• WUG: 24.63 – KUGA JUNYA (Japan), BELGRADE (SRB), 08 Jul 2009

Top 8:

1. Ryan (IRL) – 24.97
2. Polwekia (POL)/Ulyanov (RUS) – 25.11
3. —
4. Won (KOR) – 25.13
5. Ress (USA) – 25.19
6. Christou (GRE) – 25.20
7. Dale (USA) – 25.22
8. Treffers (AUS) – 25.34

Shane Ryan was the only man to crack 25 in the semifinals, going 24.97 to win the first semifinal. In the next heat, Poland’s Tomasz Polewka and Nikita Ulyanov of Russia tied for the win, and both will sit second into tomorrow’s final.

Korea’s Won Youngjun took fourth, just a few hundredths ahead of American Justin Ress, who’s had a great week so far in Taipei.

Ress’s teammate Taylor Dale is into the final just behind Apostolos Christou of Greece, both at 25.2s. And Australia’s Ben Treffers is the last man in, beating out Belarusian Viktar Staselovich by .06.