2021 European Junior Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2021 EUROPEAN JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Tuesday, July 6th – Sunday, July 11th
• Foro Italico, Rome, Italy
• Heats at 9:30am local (3:30am EST)/Finals at 6pm local (Noon EST)
• LCM (50m)
• Live Results
• Live Stream
• Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Finals Live Recap

Saturday marks the penultimate day of the 2021 European Junior Championships. This session will have seven finals and seven semifinals.

David Popovici, the current world #1 in the men’s 100 freestyle, will take on the 200 free final after qualifying with the fastest time and new European Junior record of 1:45.26. How fast will he go in the 200 free? He also will participate in the semis of the 50 free in the same session. He led the qualifiers in the morning heats with a lifetime best of 22.37. The men will also crown their 2021 Junior Champions in the 200 breaststroke while the women are on the hunt for gold in the 50 fly, 200 IM, 50 back, 1500 free and 4×100 free.

In the women’s meet tonight, Great Britain’s Katie Shanahan is poised to win her third medal in the 200 IM after a bronze in the 100 backstroke and a gold in the 400 IM. Dari Klepikova qualified with the fastest time for the women’s 50m butterfly with a time of 26.27 just shy of the Champinship Record (26.21) set in 2019.

Turkey’s Merve Tuncel will race the women’s 1500 free final as the top seed. She crushed the European Junior record in the 800 free final on Wednesday by more than seven seconds. 14-year-old Eneli Jefimova swam the fastest time in the 100 breaststroke in the morning heats in 1:08,92. Two other women went under 1:10 in the morning: Elena Bogomolova (1:09.28) and Iuliia Beznosova (1:09.79).

In the women’s 50 free it was Russia’s Daria Tatarinova who established the top seed for the semifinals, clocking a 25,23 in heats just .02 off her personal best.  Spain’s Carmen Weiler Sastra set the second-fastest time during prelims in 25,61 ahead of Jana Pavalic (CRO) in 25.64.

Poland’s twins Krzysztof and Michal Chmielewski swam the two fastest times in the men’s 200 butterfly preliminaries in 1:56.23 and 1:56.66 which is a new personal best for Michal.

WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 25.46 – Rikako Ikee, JPN (2017)
• European Junior Record: 25.66  – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 26.21 – Naele Portecop, FRA (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR)

Podium:

1. Daria Klepikova (RUS), 26.14
2. Lana Pudar (BIH), 26.29
3. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL), 26.55

Daria Klepikova bettered the Championship Record by .07 seconds, although she didn’t improve her personal best time which stands at 25.98. She took the gold medal ahead of Lana Pudar (BIH) who was the youngest swimmer in this final.

Pudar’s 26.29 marked a lifetime best. She set a new national record for Bosnia and Herzegovina. The 15-year-old now holds the Bosnia & Herzegovina Records in the 50, 100, and 200 butterflies in long course.

Third-place finisher Roos Vanotterdijk missed her personal best time by 0.08.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:05.28 – Lydia Jacoby, USA (2021)
• European Junior Record:  1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:05.34 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Kayla van der Merve (GBR)

Top 8:

1. JEFIMOVA Eneli  EST        1:07.56
2. BOGOMOLOVA Elena     RUS      1:07.89
3. BEZNOSOVA Iuliia             RUS      1:09.08
4. KLINT IPSA Olivia               SWE      1:09.17
5. DELMAS Justine                FRA       1:09.31
6. CHRZAN Zofia     POL       1:09.42
7. PIECHOWICZ Karolina     POL       1:09.57
8. PRIBYLOVA Jana                CZE       1:09.67

14-year-old Eneli Jefimova of Estonia came to the wall in a time of 1:07.56 to lead the semi-finalists into tomorrow’s 100 breast final. She and Elena Bogomolova (Russia) were the only swimmers who managed to dip under 1:08. Bogomolova’s teammate Iuliia Beznosova posted the third-fastest time (1:09.08), as she did in prelims.

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2018)
• European Junior Record: 1:52.71 – Kristof Milak, HUN (2018)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:53.79  – Kristof Milak, HUN (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Igor Troyanovskyy (UKR)

Top 8:

1. KLIMENISHCHEV Vadim  RUS      1:57.98
2. CHMIELEWSKI Krzysztof   POL       1:58.51
3. CHMIELEWSKI Michal      POL       1:58.57
4. MIZSEI Mark       HUN     1:59.11
5. NOVICHKOV Dmitry        RUS      1:59.29
6. VALIZADA Ramil                AZE       1:59.62
7. NAGY Daniel       HUN     2:00.49
8. HORVATH Mark                 AUT      2:01.01

Vadim Klimenishchev earned the top seed in the men’s 200 fly in 1:57.98. He set his lifetime best in 2020 with a time of 1:56.50, which is the Russian Junior Record.

The Polish twins Krzysztof Chmielewski and Michal Chmielewski both were slower than they were in the morning, but they both made it safely into the finals as top 3 seeds. Michal set a new lifetime best in 1:56.66 in the heats, which remains the fastest time of the meet so far, but he seems to have realized that he didn’t need to be at top speed to advance to Sunday’s final.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 2:09.64 – Yiting Yu, CHN (2021)
• European Junior Record:  2:11.03 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 2:13.03 – Ilaria Cusinato, ITA (2016)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Zoe Vogelmann (GER)

Podium:

1. SHANAHAN Katie GBR 2:13,13
2. SOROKINA Anastasiia RUS 2:13,84
3. UGRAI Panna HUN 2:14,37

Great Britain’s Katie Shanahan has now swept the individual medley races, adding a win in Saturday’s 200 IM final to the gold medal she had earned on Tuesday in the 400 IM final. Seeded with 2:13.77, she posted the top time of 2:16.77 in heats, 2:14.06 in the semis, and 2:13.13 in the final, bettering her personal-best time by .64. Shanahan also won the bronze medal in the 100m backstroke and will participate later this evening in the 200 backstroke semifinal.

Anastasiia Sorokina of Russia, the bronze medalist in the 400 IM, finished .71 behind Shanahan to earn silver with 2:13.84. She had come to Rome as the top-ranked European youth (17 years and younger) in the event with a time of 2:12.90.

Hungary’s Panna Ugrai placed third, improving her time from 2:15.48 to 2:14,37.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• European Junior Record: 1:55.14 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:55.83 – Kliment Kolesnikov, RUS (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Jan Cejka (CZR)

Top 8:

1. LEVTEROV Kaloyan          BUL        1:59.50
2. KOSINSKI Filip    POL       1:59.85
3. SAKA Berke         TUR       2:00.11
4. NAUMENKO Vadym        UKR      2:00.30
5. MASIUK Ksawery             POL       2:00.47
6. SISKOS Apostolos             GRE      2:00.84
7. JAHN Cornelius  GER       2:01.99
8. CHOUCHAOUI Mathys   FRA       2:02.40

Bulgaria’s Kaloyan Levterov paced the men’s 200 back semis in a time of 1:59.50. Only two swimmers broke the 2- minute barrier in semis, with Poland’s Filip Kosinski sitting second overall in 1:59.85. Turkey’s Berke Saka qualified third in 2:00.11.

WOMEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 2:03.35 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
• European Junior Record: 2:06.62 – Target Times
• European Junior Championship Record: 2:08.97 – Polina Egorva, RUS (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Erika Gaetani (ITA)

Top 8:

1. BERNAT Laura    POL       2:11.72
2. SHANAHAN Katie             GBR      2:12.98
3. GAETANI Erika   ITA        2:13.51
4. NYIRADI Reka     HUN     2:14.08
5. SEIDEL Lise          GER       2:16.23
6. FONTANA Chiara              ITA        2:16.36
7. PALICKA Wiktoria             POL       2:17.80
8. DENIZLI Sudem  TUR       2:17.88

Poland’s Laura Bernat topped the second semi of the women’s 200 backstroke to qualify first for the final in a time of 2:11.72. Bernat owns a lifetime best of 2:09.81 set in March. Fresh off her IM victory, Katie Shanahan survived a tough double to make it into the final with the second-fastest time of 2:12.98. Her lifetime best stands at 2:09.90. The defending European Junior Champion Erika Gaetani (ITA) posted the third-fastest time in 2:13.51. Germany’s Lise Seidel, 15, will be the youngest finalist in the event tomorrow; she qualified fifth in 2:16.23.

MEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 21.75 – Michael Andrew, USA (2017)
• European Junior Record: 21.83 – Artem Selin, GER (201)
• European Junior Championship Record: 21.83 – Artem Selin, GER (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion:  Artem Selin

Top 8:

1. POPOVICI David                ROU     22.75
2. GUATTI Giovanni              ITA        22.80
3. HRIBAR Jere        CRO      22.80
4. CHERNOUSOV Nikita       RUS      22.90
5. KOLESNYKOV Mykyta     UKR      22.90
6. ANTONIOU Nikolas          CYP       22.91
7. CONGIA Samuele             ITA        22.92
8. KARTAVI Martin                ISR        22.94

David Popovici was it again in the men’s 50 free semis, clocking the fastest time in the field with 22.75. He was .4 off his new lifetime best (22.37), established in heats this morning. Finishing just behind Popovici in semi-final 2 was Italy’s Giovanni Guatti, who recorded the second-fastest time, 22.80. Guatti ducked under his former lifetime best of 23.19.

Jere Hribar from Croatia won the first semi-final, posting the third-fastest time overall with a lifetime best of 22.80.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 56.43 – Claire Curzan, USA (2021)
• European Junior Record: 56.46 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 57.39 – Anastasiya Shkrudai, BLR (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Anastasiya Shkurdai (BEL)

Top 8:

1. MARKOVA Anastasiia     RUS      58.97
2. PUDAR Lana        BIH        59.17
3. DELMAS Lucie    FRA       59.22
4. KLEPIKOVA Daria              RUS      59.58
5. VANOTTERDIJK Roos       BEL        59.60
6. GRIEVE Lucy        GBR      1:00.14
7. LORENTZ Helene Torsvik               NOR     1:00.48
8. CUNHA Mariana Pacheco             POR      1:00.51

Anastasiia Markova topped the second semi of the women’s 100 fly to qualify first for the final in a time of 58.97. Lana Pudar qualified second with 59.17, well off her lifetime best of 57.37. It was a tough double for Pudar, who won the silver medal in the 50 fly earlier tonight. France’s Lucie Delmas set a lifetime best of 59.22 to post the third-fastest time heading into tomorrow’s final. 

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 1:44.96 – Hwang Sunwoo, KOR (2021
• European Junior Record: 1:45.26 – David Popovici, ROU (2021-07-09)
• European Junior Championship Record: 1:45.26 – David Popovici, ROU (2021-07-09)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Robin Hanson (SWE)

Podium:

1. POPOVICI David ROU 1:45.95
2. CHOWANIEC Mateucz POL 1:47.78
3. LEKIC Jovan BIH 1:48.46

David Popovici had the fastest turnaround of the various doubles we have seen this evening. 12 minutes after his 50 free semi-final, he was back on the starting block for the 200 free final. While he didn’t lower the European Record (of 1:45.26) he had set in yesterday’s semi-finals, he nonetheless swam to a commanding victory with 1:45.95. He was the only man tonight who stayed under 1:47.

The silver medal went to Poland’s Mateucz Chowaniec with a new personal best of 1:47.78. Jovan Lekic grabbed bronze in 1:48.46. He downed his personal best for a third straight time here in Rome. Lekic entered the meet never having broken 1:50. He improved the national record of Bosnia and Herzegovina, taking another .6 off the 1:49.28 NR he had established in prelims.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 27.49 – Minna Atherton, AUS (2016)
• European Junior Record: 27.51 – Daria Vaskina, RUS (2019)
• European Junior Championship Record: 27.82 – Daria Vaskina, RUS (2019)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Daria Vaskina (RUS)

Podium:

1. WEILER SASTRE Carmen ESP 28.43
2. STANISAVLJEVIC Nina SRB 28.58
3. GAETANI Erika ITA 28.88

Spain’s Carmen Weiler Sastre took another .3 off her hours-old lifetime best to win the women’s 50 backstroke in a time of 28.43. She had entered the meet with a seed time of 31.00 before going 28.89 in heats and 28.70 in the semi-finals. Serbia’s Nina Stanisavljevic was runner-up with 28.58, just off the lifetime best of 28.54 that she had swum in semis.

The bronze medal went to Italy’s Erika Gaetani in 28.88. She owns a lifetime best of 28.50. Gaetani was another swimmer who had a challenging turnaround. She had about 45 minutes between her 200 back semi-final and her 50 back final. Gaetani, the defending European Junior Champion in the 200 backstroke, will seek to defend her title from lane 3 after having placed third in tonight’s semi-finals.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – SEMIFINAL

• World Junior Record: 24.33 – Rikako Ikee (JPN) (2017)
• European Junior Record: 24.88 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 25.02 – Maria Kameneva, RUS (2016)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Constanza Cocconcelli (ITA)

Top 8:

1. TATARINOVA Daria          RUS      25.10
2. PAVALIC Jana     CRO      25.28
3. OKARO Eva          GBR      25.33
4. COSTEA Bianca Andreea               ROU     25.51
5. TROFIMOVA Daria            RUS      25.51
6. POPOVIC Tanja  SRB       25.62
7. JAZY Nina Sandrine          GER      25.76
8. BIAGIOTTI Matilde           ITA        25.83

Daria Tatarinova cruised to a personal best time of 25.10 to qualify first for the final. She was followed by 14-year-old Jana Pavalic from Croatia. Pavalic improved her personal best to 25.28. Eva Okaro came through with the third-fastest time of 25.33. This time marks a lifetime best for the 14-year-old British swimmer.

MEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 2:09.39 – Qin Haiyang, CHN (2017)
• European Junior Record: 2:09.64 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 2:10.69 – Anton Chupkov, RUS (2015)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Aleksandr Zhigalov (RUS)

Podium:

1. SAVICKAS Aleksas LTU 2:13.35
2. ASKHABOV Dmitrii RUS 2:13.37
3. TKACHUK Maksym UKR 2:13.89

Lithuania’s Aleksas Savickas dipped for the first time under 2:14 to eke out an exciting win, edging Russia’s Dmitrii Askhabov, 2:13.35 to 2:13.37. Savickas had a strong front half, leading Askhabov by half a body length (.63) at the halfway mark. The Russian charged over the 3rd 50 (33.8 vs 34.2 for Savickas) whittling the lead to .4. Over the final 50 meters, Askhabov again outsplit Savickas (34.79 to 34.98) but it wasn’t enough to claim the gold medal.

Ukraine’s Maksym Tkachuk, meanwhile, nearly caught the leaders. He closed with the fastest 4th 50 in the field by nearly a full second (34.79) and was able to move from 8th at the 100 wall, to 5th at the 150, to third at the finish. Tkachuk grabbed the bronze medal in a time of 2:13.89, just shy of his personal best of 2:13.64.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 15:28,36 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
• European Junior Record: 16:02.29 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 16:11.25 – Ajna Kesely, HUN (2017)
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Giulia Salin, ITA

Podium:

1. TUNCEL Merve TUR 15:55.23  EJ  CR
2. ERTAN Deniz TUR 16.14.26
3. OTERO FERNANDEZ Paula ESP 16:19.92

Turkey’s Merle Tuncel roared to a new European Junior Record and Championship Record in a time of 15.55.23. She dominated the race Ledecky-like and took the win by a margin of nearly 20 seconds. She is the first European Junior who was able to crack the target time of 16:02.29. Tuncel came into this race as the top seed with a lifetime best of 16:03.23. She also crushed the European Junior Record in the 800 free final on Wednesday by more than seven seconds. Tuncel now ranks 10th in the current World Rankings in the 1500 free.

Tuncel’s teammate Deniz Ertan won the silver medal, setting a new lifetime best of 16:14.26, ahead of Spain’s Paula Otero Fernandez (16:19.92). Otero Fernandez entered the meet with a lifetime best of 16:45.28 and and dropped over 25 seconds.

WOMEN’S 4×100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Junior Record: 3:36.19 – Canada (2017)
• European Junior Record: 3:39.1 – Target Time
• European Junior Championship Record: 3:41.24 – Germany
• 2019 European Junior Champion: Russia

Podium:

1. Russia 3:40.10
2. Great Britain 3:42.27
3. Hungary 3:43.86

Russia led the field from start to finish and took the win with a new Championship Record of 3:40.10. The Russian quartet touched more than two seconds ahead of Great Britain. Daria Tatarinova, the runner-up in the 100 free final, led off in 55.29. She was followed by Daria Trofimova (54.61), Aleksandra Kurilkina (55.67), and Daria Klepikova (54.53). Klepikova won the 100 free final on Wednesday with 54.75.

Great Britain and Hungary battled for the silver medal. Hungary led by .07 at the halfway mark but the British foursome pulled ahead by .3 at the 300 and got to the final wall 1.6 seconds ahead of the Hungarians. The GBR relay consisted of Eva Okaro (55.36), Harriet Rogers (56.42), Evelyn Davis (55.85), and Tamryn Van Selm (54.64).

Hungary fielded the quartet of Nikoletta Padar (56.12), Panna Ugrai (55.60), Dora Molnar (56.20), and Reka Nyiradi (55.94).