2021 European Short Course Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2021 LEN European Short Course Championships

• Tuesday, November 2nd – Sunday, November 7th
• Aquatics Palace, Kazan Russia
• SCM (25m)
• Entries
• Prelims recap
• Results

Day 5 Finals and Semi-finals

Women 100m Backstroke – Final

• SC Euros Record: Kira TOUSSAINT (NED) – 55.17 (2019)
• European Record: Katinka HOSSZU (HUN) – 55.03 (2014)
• World Record: Minna ATHERTON (AUS) – 54.89 (2019)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Kira TOUSSAINT (NED) – 55.76
2. SILVER: Maaike DE WAARD (NED) – 55.86
3. BRONZE: Analia PIGREE (FRA) – 56.40

Netherlands took the 1-2 sweep of the women’s 100 back final, with meet record-holder Kira Toussaint edging Maaike de Waard, 55.76 to 55.86, for the win. That gives Toussaint the trifecta of gold medals in the 50-100-200 back for the meet.

Analia Pigree of France led the rest of the pack, nearly a full body length behind the leaders.

Toussaint had the fastest first half, but she and de Waard swam very similar splits. Toussaint was out in 26.74 to her teammate’s 26.86. No one else was under 27 but Pigree (27.20), who was runner-up in the 50 back and was swimming in lane 1, and Mimosa Jallow of Finland (27.22) were several tenths ahead of the rest of the field at the 50 wall.

Toussaint was home in 29.02 to de Waard’s 29.00 to maintain her lead and get the win. Pigree went 29.20 on the second half and held off Russia’s Maria Kameneva, who moved to fourth, for the bronze medal.

Men 200m Freestyle – Final

• SC Euros Record: Paul BIEDERMANN (GER) – 1:39.81 (2009)
• European Record: Paul BIEDERMANN (GER) – 1:39.37 (2009)
• World Record: Paul BIEDERMANN (GER) – 1:39.37 (2009)

Podium:

1. GOLD: David POPOVICI (ROU) – 1:42.12
2. SILVER: Luc KROON (NED) – 1:42.20
3. BRONZE: Stan PIJNENBURG (NED) – 1:42.51

Stan Pijnenburg of Netherlands was first out of the chute, going up by nearly half a body length at the 50. Ivan Girev of Russia was in second place, followed by Romania’s David Popovici in lane 1. At the halfway mark, Pijnenburg was the only sub-50; led Girev by two-tenths. France’s Jordan Pothain moved into third place, flipping .05 ahead of Popovici.

Popovici and Luc Kroon of Netherlands, the 400 free winner in Kazan, turned on the jets over the second half of the race, coming home in 26.3-25.6 and 26.2-25.6, respectively, to pass Pijnenburg.

Popovici’s time was a new Romanian national record.

Matteo Ciampi of Italy, the runner-up in the 400 free, made a last-minute surge for the podium but fell short, finishing .31 behind Pijnenburg. Girev finished fifth; Pothain faded to seventh.

Women 100m Butterfly – Final

• SC Euros Record: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 55.00 (2017)
• European Record: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 54.61 (2014)
• World Record: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 54.61 (2014)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 55.84
2. SILVER: Anna NTOUNTOUNAKI (GRE) / Anastasiya SHKURDAI (BLR) – 56.35 (TIE)
3. BRONZE: –

Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom added to her cache of gold medals in the 50 free and 100 free with a decisive victory in the 100 fly, going 55.84 to be the lone sub-56 in the final.

It was crowded at the 50 wall, setting up an exciting second half. Sjostrom turned first at 26.12 but Greece’s Anna Ntountounaki was only .01 behind her in second place. Lana Pudar (BIH), Elena di Liddo (ITA), and Anastasiya Shkurdai (BLR) were two-tenths behind the leaders.

The second half of the race saw Sjostrom pull away from the field, as she came home in 29.72. The only other sub-30 belonged to Shkurdai, whose 29.99 moved her from fifth at the halfway mark to tied-for-second at the finish.

Di Liddo and Svetlana Chimrova (RUS) were another three-tenths behind Ntountounaki and Shkurdai.

Men 200m Breaststroke – Final

• SC Euros Record: Marco KOCH (GER) – 2:00.53 (2015)
• European Record: Kirill PRIGODA (RUS) – 2:00.16 (2018)
• World Record: Kirill PRIGODA (RUS) – 2:00.16 (2018)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Ilya SHYMANOVICH (BLR) – 2:01.73
2. SILVER: Arno KAMMINGA (NED) – 2:01.74
3. BRONZE: Mikhail DORINOV (RUS) – 2:02.07

After a second-place finish in the 100 breast, Belarus’s Ilya Shymanovich exacted revenge with a victory in the 200 breast, albeit by .01. Arno Kamminga of Netherlands, the bronze medalist in the 100 breast, came into the final with the fastest qualifying time and was swimming in lane 4.

Shymanovich, swimming in lane 1, was out first at the 50, turning in 27.48, a full 1.13 seconds ahead of Kamminga. Russia’s Mikhail Dorinov was in second place, followed by Matej Zabojnik (CZE).

Shymanovich remained in first or second the rest of the race, while Kamminga slowly moved from eighth at the 50 to within .01 of winning the race. He split 28.6-31.1-31.1-30.9, passing Dorinov, Erik Persson of Sweden, and Russia’s Aleksandr Zhigalov over the final 50 meters.

Women 200m Freestyle – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Federica PELLEGRINI (ITA) – 1:51.17 (2009)
• European Record: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 1:50.43 (2017)
• World Record: Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 1:50.43 (2017)

Qualifiers:

1. Marrit STEENBERGEN (NED) – 1:53.48
2. Katja FAIN (SLO) – 1:54.38
3. Isabel Marie GOSE (GER) – 1:54.91
4. Barbora SEEMANOVA (CZE) – 1:55.07
5. Anna EGOROVA (RUS) – 1:55.35
6. Janja SEGEL (SLO) – 1:55.71
7. Nikoletta PADAR (HUN) – 1:56.31
8. Julia HASSLER (LIE) – 1:56.63

After racing either other in heats this morning, Marrit Steenbergen of Netherlands and Isabel Marie Gose from Germany swam in separate semi-finals this evening. Gose won the first heat with 1:54.91, .08 faster than she had been in heats. She and Barbora Seemanova of Czech Republic traded leads throughout the race, but Gose got her hand first to the wall. Seemanova’s 1:55.07 was 1.2 seconds faster than she had been in the morning. Coming in third behind them was Russia’s Anna Egorova (1:55.35).

Steenbergen, on the other hand, went more than 1.3 seconds faster than her battle with Gose in heats this morning. She clocked a 1:53.48, splitting 26.0, 28.2, 29.2, 29.9. Slovenia’s Janja Segle was in second place through the 100, trailing Steenbergen by 1.7 seconds, but her compatriot Katja Fain had the stronger second half and beat her 1:54.38 to 1:55.71 at the final wall. Fain holds the Slovenian national record of 1:54.25.

Women 200m Individual Medley – Final

• SC Euros Record: Katinka HOSSZU (HUN) – 2:02.53 (2015)
• European Record: Katinka HOSSZU (HUN) – 2:01.86 (2014)
• World Record: Katinka HOSSZU (HUN) – 2:01.86 (2014)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Anastasya GORBENKO (ISR) – 2:05.17
2. SILVER: Maria UGOLKOVA (SUI) – 2:06.41
3. BRONZE: Viktoria Zeynep GUNES (TUR) – 2:07.67

Israel’s Anastasya Gorbenko was just off her national record (2:05.04), but a good deal faster than her semi-final swim of 2:06.75, with her winning performance in the women’s 200 IM. She started off third after the butterfly, turning behind Switzerland’s Maria Ugolkova and Italy’s Constanza Cocconcelli. She moved past Cocconcelli on the backstroke and nearly pulled even with Ugolkova.

Gorbenko and 400 IM winner Viktoria Zeynep Gunes of Turkey dominated the breaststroke leg, both swimming 36.2s to move into first and third places, respectively. Gunes had been in sixth after the backstroke.

Gorbenko outsplit Ugolkova by sixth-tenths over the final 50 meters to increase her margin of victory to 1.34. Ugolkova kept Gunes at bay and picked up the silver medal with 2:06.41, while Gunes finished nine-tenths ahead of Cocconcelli.

Men 50m Butterfly – Final

• SC Euros Record: Johannes DIETRICH (GER) – 22.07 (2009)
• European Record: Steffen DEIBLER (GER) – 21.80 (2009)
• World Record: Nicholas SANTOS (BRA) – 21.75 (2018)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Szebasztian SZABO (HUN) – 21.75 WR-ER-CR
2. SILVER: Matteo RIVOLTA (ITA) – 22.14
3. BRONZE: Thomas CECCON (ITA) – 22.24

Hungary’s Szebasztian Szabo tied the World Record in the final of the men’s 50 fly with a blazing 21.75, coming to the wall four-tenths ahead of silver medalist Matteo Rivolta of Italy (22.14). Szabo broke the championship record, the European record, and the Hungarian national record with his swim. Rivolta broke the Italian record.

Italy picked up important team points over Russia in the final, with Rivolta and countryman Thomas Ceccon (22.24) finishing on the podium. Russia’s Roman Shevlyakov (22.44) and Daniil Markov (22.62) came in fifth and seventh, respectively. Turkey’s Uemitcan Gueres took the fourth spot with 22.37.

Men 100m Individual Medley – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Peter MANKOC (SLO) – 50.76 (2009)
• European Record: Vladimir MOROZOV (RUS) – 50.26 (2018)
• World Record: Caeleb DRESSEL (USA) – 49.28 (2020)

Qualifiers:

1. Andreas VAZAIOS (GRE) – 51.54
2. Marco ORSI (ITA) – 51.61
3. Andrey ZHILKIN (RUS) – 51.98
4. Heiko GIGLER (AUT) – 52.04
5. Carles COLL MARTI (ESP) /Georgios SPANOUDAKIS (GRE) – 52.36 (TIE)
6. –
7. Bernhard REITSHAMMER (AUT) – 52.54
8. Sergey FESIKOV (RUS) – 52.56

Greece’s Andreas Vazaios tied his own Greek national record with the fastest time out of semi-finals, 51.54. He won the second heat by .44 over Russia’s Andrey Zhilkin. Austria’s Heiko Gigler broke his nation’s record with a third-place finish in the heat. Gigler took .20 off the 52.24 mark that had been set by Bernhard Reitshammer in 2019.

Reitshammer also qualified for the final with 52.54 coming in seventh just ahead of Russia’s Sergey Fesikov. He was runner-up in the first heat to Italy’s Marco Orsi (51.61), who won by nearly a body length.

Markus Lie of Norway, who had been in second place behind Vazaios at the halfway mark, faded to sixth in the heat.

Women 50m Breaststroke – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Ruta MEILUTYTE (LTU) – 29.10 (2013)
• European Record: Ruta MEILUTYTE (LTU) – 28.81 (2014) / Benedetta PILATO (ITA) – 28.81 (2020)
• World Record: Alia ATKINSON (JAM) – 28.56 (2018)

Qualifiers:

1. Nika GODUN (RUS) – 29.57
2. Benedetta PILATO (ITA) – 29.67
3. Ida HULKKO (FIN) – 29.68
4. Florine GASPARD (BEL) – 29.70
5. Arianna CASTIGLIONI (ITA) – 29.76
6. Veera KIVIRINTA (FIN) – 29.85
7. Klara THORMALM (SWE) – 29.96
8. Emelie FAST (SWE) – 30.07

Russia’s Nika Godun improved her time from morning heats by nearly four-tenths to take semi-final 1 in 29.57. Belgium’s Florine Gaspard edged Italy’s Arianna Castiglioni, 29.70 to 29.76, for second place in the heat. Sweden’s Klara Thormalm beat countrywoman Emelie Fast by .11 for fourth; both ended up qualifying for the final.

Italy’s Benedetta Pilato, the World Junior and co-European record-holder in this event, won the second semi-final in 29.67 by .01 ahead of Finland’s Ida Hulkko (29.68). Veera Kivirinta (29.85), also of Finland, was the only other qualifier out of the second semi-final.

Gorbenko, just off her victory in the 200 IM, did not advance to the final of the breast, finishing 10th in 30.19.

Men 50m Breaststroke – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Vladimir MOROZOV (RUS) – 25.51 (2019)
• European Record: Emre SAKCI (TUR) – 25.29 (2020)
• World Record: Cameron VAN DER BURGH (RSA) – 25.25 (2009)

Qualifiers:

1. Nicolo MARTINENGHI (ITA) – 25.37 CR
2. Emre SAKCI (TUR) – 25.38 CR
3. Ilya SHYMANOVICH (BLR) – 25.43
4. Fabio SCOZZOLI (ITA) – 25.87
5. Kirill STRELNIKOV (RUS) – 26.10
6. Oleg KOSTIN (RUS) – 26.15
7. Arno KAMMINGA (NED) – 26.18
8. Peter John STEVENS (SLO) – 26.20

Turkey’s Emre Sakci took down the championship record of 25.51, set by Vladimir Morozov in 2019, in the first semi-final with his winning 25.38. Italy’s Fabio Scozzoli came in second, ahead of Russia’s Kirill Strelnikov (26.10) and Oleg Kostin (26.15).

Minutes later, Nicolo Martinenghi erased Sakci’s name from the record books with an even faster (by .01) championship record of 25.37, which also set the Italian national record. Shymanovich of Belarus finished second in 25.43, also under Morozov’s old championship record. Kamminga of Netherlands was third (26.18).

Shymanovich and Kamminga had impressive turnarounds after going 1-2 in the 200 breast final earlier in the session.

Men 100m Freestyle – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Amaury LEVEAUX (FRA) – 44.94 (2008)
• European Record: Amaury LEVEAUX (FRA) – 44.94 (2008)
• World Record: Kyle CHALMERS (AUS) – 44.84 (2021)

Qualifiers:

1. Kliment KOLESNIKOV (RUS) – 45.85
2. Alessandro MIRESSI (ITA) – 45.87
3. Vladislav GRINEV (RUS) – 45.95
4. Lorenzo ZAZZERI (ITA) – 46.37
5. Stan PIJNENBURG (NED) – 46.38
6. Robert-Andrei GLINTA (ROU) / Nandor NEMETH (HUN) – 46.64
7. –
8. Apostolos CHRISTOU (GRE) – 46.66

Italy’s Alessandro Miressi won the first semi-final in 45.87, .13 faster than he had been in morning heats. Pijnenburg, rebounding nicely from his bronze-medal performance in the 200 free, came in second with 46.38, just ahead of Robert Glinta of Romania (46.64).

Russia snagged the top two spots in the next semi-final, with Kliment Kolesnikov (45.85) beating Vladislav Grinev (45.95) by a tenth. Grinev came barreling home over the second half of the race but ran out of pool trying to chase down Kolesnikov.

It was a tough 200-100 double for Popovici and Pothain, who after swimming in the final of the former, failed to advance in the latter.

There was a 2.4-second spread between 1st and 8th in the first semi-final, and a 2.3-second difference in the second.

Women 50m Butterfly – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Melanie HENIQUE (FRA) – 24.56 (2019)
• European Record: Therese ALSHAMMAR (SWE) – 24.38 (2009)
• World Record: Therese ALSHAMMAR (SWE) – 24.38 (2009)

Qualifiers:

1. Sarah SJOSTROM (SWE) – 24.92
2. Silvia DI PIETRO (ITA) – 25.03
3. Maaike DE WAARD (NED) – 25.11
4. Anna NTOUNTOUNAKI (GRE) – 25.22
5. Arina SURKOVA (RUS) – 25.36
6. Anastasiya SHKURDAI (BLR) – 25.45
7. Elena DI LIDDO (ITA) – 25.51
8. Julie Kepp JENSEN (DEN) – 25.61

After her gold-medal performance in the 100 fly earlier in the session, Sjostrom was back with a 24.92 to lead the field in the semi-finals of the 50 fly.

Russia’s Arina Surkova took the first heat in 25.36 ahead of Italy’s di Liddo (25.51). The first four finishers in the second heat were all faster than Surkova, including Sjostrom (24.92), Silvia di Pietro of Italy (25.03), de Waard of Netherlands (25.11), and Ntountounaki of Greece (25.22). Ntountounaki tied for second place behind Sjostrom in the 100 fly.

Men 200m Backstroke – Semi–Final

• SC Euros Record: Kliment KOLESNIKOV (RUS) – 1:48.02 (2017)
• European Record: Arkady VYATCHANIN (RUS) – 1:46.11 (2009)
• World Record: Mitchell LARKIN (AUS) – 1:45.63 (2015)

Qualifiers:

1. Lorenzo MORA (ITA) – 1:50.17
2. Aleksei TKACHEV (RUS) – 1:50.96
3. Radoslaw KAWECKI (POL) – 1:51.40
4. Evgeny RYLOV (RUS) – 1:51.73
5. Michele LAMBERTI (ITA) – 1:52.01
6. Armin Evert LELLE (EST) – 1:52.46
7. Tomas FRANTA (CZE) – 1:52.74
8. Antoine HERLEM (FRA) – 1:53.01

Italy’s Lorenzo Mora came from behind to win semi-final by eight-tenths over Russia’s Aleksei Tkachev, 1:50.17 to 1:50.96. Mora nearly negative split his race, going out in 54.55 and coming home in 55.62. He was third at the 50 and 100 walls, moved up to second at the 150, and outsplit Tkachev by 1.4 seconds over the final 50 meters for the win.

Poland’s Radoslaw Kawecki and Evgeny Rylov of Russia also had fast fourth 50s, coming from third- and fourth-place at the 150 wall to finishing first and second in the second semi-final. It was Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk who took it out first, but he faded to fourth by the 100 wall. Michele Lamberti of Italy and Armin Evert Lelle of Estonia were slightly ahead of Kawecki and Rylov at the 150; they finished third and fourth in the heat.

Mixed 4x50m Freestyle – Final

• SC Euros Record: Russia – 1:28.31 (2019)
• European Record: Russia – 1:28.31 (2019)
• World Record: United States – 1:27.89 (2018)

Podium:

1. GOLD: Netherlands – 1:28.93
2. SILVER: Russia/Italy – 1:29.40 (TIE)
3. –

There wasn’t a lot of intrigue in the mixed 200 free relay, as all eight teams fielded their two men first, followed by their two women. Netherlands got out to an early lead with Jesse Puts (21.06) and never let go. Puts was followed by Thom de Boer (20.55), de Waard (23.46), and Kim Busch (23.86).

Among the notable splits were those of Sarah Sjostrom (22.89) on the third leg of Sweden’s relay, moving them from eight to fourth; and Kasia Wasick (23.09), who took Poland past Sweden over the final 50 meters.

TROPHY AFTER 31 EVENTS