2021 SC World Champs: Day 5 Heats Live Recap

2021 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, December 16th – Tuesday, December 21st
• Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• SCM (25m)
• Prize Money
• Meet Site
• Psych Sheet
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• FINA Live Results
• Omega Live Results

The penultimate prelims session of the 2021 SC World Championships is underway in Abu Dhabi. This morning, we’ll get the heats of the men’s 200 medley relay, women’s 200 IM, men’s 400 IM, women’s 100 fly, men’s 100 free, women’s 50 free, men’s 50 breast, women’s 800 free relay, and the men’s 1500 free.

Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko has been on a tear this week, and she’ll be back in action in the women’s 200 IM after winning the 100 IM last night. Men’s 100 breast champion Ilya Shymanovich missed finals of the 200 breast, and he’ll get another shot at Gold starting this morning in the 50 breast.

After an electric Gold medal performance in the women’s 50 fly last night, Ranomi Kromowidjojo will be racing in the women’s 50 free this morning. Men’s 400 free champion Felix Auboeck will be back in action in the men’s 1500 free today as well.

MEN’S 4×50 MEDLEY RELAY – HEATS:

• World Record: 1:30.14 – Italy – 3 NOV 2021
• Championship Record: 1:30.51 – Brazil – 4 DEC 2014

START LIST

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Russian Swimming Federation – 1:32.52
2. Egypt – 1:33.19
3. Brazil – 1:33.21
4. United States – 1:33.29
5. Italy – 1:33.60
6. Norway – 1:34.33
7. Poland – 1:34.54
8. Lithuania – 1:35.20

Pavel Samusenko (23.38), Andrei Nikolaev (26.16), Oleg Kostin (22.08), and Aleksandr Shchegolev (20.90) cleared the rest of the field in prelims by a comfortable margin, posting a 1:32.52 to give RSF the top seed for finals.

Egypt had an exceptional prelims performance, posting a 1:33.19 for the 2nd-fastest time of the morning. Mohamed Samy (23.69), Youssef Elkamash (26.40), Youssef Ramadan (22.37), and Abdelrahman Sameh (20.73) broke both the Egyptian Record and African Record with the swim.

WOMEN’S 200 IM – HEATS:

• World Record: 2:01.86 – HOSSZU Katinka (HUN) 6 DEC 2014
• Championship Record: 2:01.86 – HOSSZU Katinka (HUN) 6 DEC 2014
• World Junior Record: 2:04.64 – SANCHEZ Kayla (CAN) 14 DEC 2018

START LIST

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Kate Douglass (USA) – 2:04.24
2. Yu Yiting (CHN) – 2:06.48
3. Sydney Pickrem (CAN) – 2:06.66
4. Bailey Andison (CAN) – 2:07.18
5. Ilaria Cusinato (ITA) – 2:07.70
6. Melanie Margalis (USA) – 2:08.16
7. Maria Ugolkova (SUI) – 2:08.30
8. Seoyeong Kim (KOR) – 2:08.60

Kate Douglass was dominant in the heats of the 200 IM, swimming a 2:04.26. Douglass, an incredibly versatile swimmer, posted the fastest splits in the field on fly (26.44) and breast (35.59). She also split 32.00 on backstroke (3rd-fastest), and 30.11 on free (3rd-fastest). With the swim, Douglass is now the #6 performer all-time in the event, and the #2 American all-time. Fellow American Melanie Margalis, who is also the American Record holder (2:04.06), advanced to finals with a 2:08.16 this morning.

Sydney Pickrem, the #4 performer all-time in the 200 IM, took 3rd this morning in 2:06.66. Canada also advanced Bailey Andison, who swam a 2:07.18 for 4th.

Notably, Anastasia Gorbenko, who has been on fire at these Championships, and won the 100 IM last night, did not race the 200 IM this morning. Gorbenko was among the 7 swimmers who DNS (Did Not Swim) the event.

MEN’S 400 IM – HEATS:

• World Record: 3:54.81 – SETO Daiya (JPN) 20 DEC 2019
• Championship Record: 3:55.50 – LOCHTE Ryan (USA) 16 DEC 2010
• World Junior Record: 3:59.15 – SETO Daiya (JPN) 13 DEC 2012

START LIST

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Daiya Seto (JPN) – 4:00.84
2. Carson Foster (USA) – 4:02.63
3. Ilia Borodin (RSF) – 4:04.35
4. Balazs Hollo (HUN) – 4:04.74
5. Kieran Smith (USA) – 4:04.82
6. Alberto Razzetti (ITA) – 4:05.05
7. Eitan Ben Shitrit (ISR) – 4:07.55
8. Brandonn Almeida (BRA) – 4:08.29

World Record holder Daiya Seto controlled prelims if the 400 IM this morning, clocking a smooth 4:00.84 to establish the top time by nearly 2 seconds. Seto posted the fastest splits in the field on fly (54.72), back (1:00.55), and breast (1:07.37), and still came home in 58.20. We’ll be looking for Seto to be under 4:00 tonight, and we’ll see if anyone else joins him.

Carson Foster swam a 4:02.63, splitting just slightly slower than Seto on all 4 100s. RSF’s Ilia Borodin, 18, was blazing coming home, splitting 56.58 on the free leg of the race. Another 18-year-old, Israel’s Eitan Ben Shitrit, also qualified, swimming a 4:07.55.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – HEATS:

• World Record: 54.59 – DAHLIA Kelsi (USA) 3 DEC 2021
• Championship Record: 54.61 – SJOSTROM Sarah (SWE) 7 DEC 2014
• World Junior Record: 55.64 – SHKURDAI Anastasiya (BLR) 1 NOV 2020

START LIST

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Louise Hansson (SWE) – 56.04
2. Claire Curzan (USA) – 56.46
3. Zhang Yufei (CHN) – 56.47
4. Torri Huske (USA) – 56.59
5. Lana Pudar (BIH) – 56.87
6. Elena di Liddo (ITA) – 56.95
7. Marie Wattel (FRA) – 57.03
8. Svetlana Chimrova (RSF) – 57.04
9. Maria Ugolkova (SUI) – 57.15
10. Farida Osman (EGY) – 57.18
11. Giovanna Tomanik Diamante (BRA) – 57.22
12. Katerine Savard (CAN) – 57.23
13. Tessa Giele (NED) – 57.24
14. Maggie MacNeil (CAN)/Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 57.32
15. –
16. Ilaria Bianchi (ITA) – 57.40

Louise Hansson, who will be battling for Gold in tonight’s 50 back final, led prelims with a 56.04. Defending Olympic and LCM World Champs 100 fly champion Maggie MacNeil nearly missed out on advancing, swimming a 57.32 to tie for 14th. MacNeil will also be competing in the 50 back final tonight.

50 fly Bronze medalist Claire Curzan swam a 56.46 for 2nd this morning, while fellow American Torri Huske clocked a 56.59 for 4th. Huske came in 4th in finals of the 50 fly last night as well.

Zhang Yufei, the 200 fly champion and Olympic 200 fly champion, took 3rd this morning in 56.47. BIH’s Lana Pudar, just 15 years old, clocked a 56.87 to finish 5th this morning, She was just a tenth-of-a-second off her BIH Record of 57.78.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – HEATS:

• World Record: 44.84 – CHALMERS Kyle (AUS) 29 OCT 2021
• Championship Record: 45.51 – MOROZOV Vladimir (RSF) 3 DEC 2014
• World Junior Record: 46.11 – KOLESNIKOV Kliment (RSF) 21 DEC 2018

START LIST

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Josh Liendo (CAN) – 46.26
2. Alessandro Miressi (ITA) – 46.30
3. Vladislav Grinev (RSF) – 46.32
4. Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 46.52
5. Ryan Held (USA) – 46.72
6. Zhanie Pan (CHN) – 46.92
7. Gabriel Santos (BRA) – 46.95
8. Youssef Ramadan (EGY) – 46.98
9. Jack McMillan (IRL) – 47.04
10. Zach Apple (USA) – 47.05
11. Helko Gigler (AUT) – 47.07
12. Daniel Zaitsev (EST) – 47.08
13. Stan Pijnenburg (NED) – 47.13
14. Kliment Kolesnikov (RSF) – 47.19
15. Lorenzo Zazzeri (ITA) – 47.27
16. Sunwoo Hwang (KOR) – 47.31

This morning’s heats were almost the story of who didn’t make it back for semifinals. Star Russian sprinter Kliment Kolesnikov finished 14th with a 47.19, just 0.18 seconds off not making it into the top 16. Moreover, 200 free Gold medalist Sunwoo Hwang finished 16th this morning in 47.31, narrowly making it back.

not too long after taking part in the African Record-breaking 200 medley relay, Egypt’s Youssef Ramadan was back in action, this time breaking the Egyptian Record in the 100 free while qualifying for semifinals. His mark of 46.98 brings the record under 47 seconds for the first time.

Canadian 19-year-old Josh Liendo continues to roll, picking up the top seed for tonight’s semifinals. Liendo already down the Canadian Record 3 times in the 50 free at these Championships, so we’ll see if he has another record-breaking performance in the tank. The Canadian Record stands at 45.56 by Brent Hayden.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – HEATS:

• World Record: 22.93 – KROMOWIDJOJO Ranomi (NED) 7 AUG 2017
• Championship Record: 23.19 – KROMOWIDJOJO Ranomi (NED) 16 DEC 2018
• World Junior Record: 23.69 – SHKURDAI Anastasiya (BLR) 18 DEC 2020

START LIST

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 23.31
2. Katarzyna Wasick (POL) – 23.63
3. Abbey Weitzeil (USA) – 23.69
4. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 23.86
5. Mariia Kameneva (RSF) – 23.89
6. Holly Barratt (AUS) – 24.04
7. Arina Surkova (RSF) – 24.08
8. Claire Curzan (USA) – 24.11
9. Julie Jensen (DEN)/Michelle Coleman (SWE)/Silvia di Pietro (ITA) – 24.15
10. –
11. –
12. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) – 24.23
13. Cheng Yujie (CHN) – 24.34
14. Kim Busch (NED) – 24.40
15. Farida Osman (EGY) – 24.43
16. Wu Qingfeng (CHN) – 24.44

Sarah Sjostrom posted the top time of the morning by 0.3 seconds, turning in a speedy morning swim of 23.31. The World Record holder in the event, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, was 4th this morning, swimming a 23.86. Kromo is coming off a Gold medal performance in the 50 fly last night, where she bet Sjostrom head-to-head.

Claire Curzan and Farida Osman each qualified for their 2nd semifinals of the day with their swims. Both women also advanced in the 100 fly earlier in the session.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – HEATS:

• World Record: 25.25 – van der BURGH Cameron (RSA) 14 NOV 2009 / Ilya (BLR) 7 NOV 2021
• Championship Record: 25.41 – van der BURGH Cameron (RSA) 16 DEC 2018
• World Junior Record: 26.26 – CERASUOLO Simone (ITA) 25 APR 2021

START LIST

Top 16 Qualifiers:

1. Ilya Shymanovich (BLR) – 25.77
2. Huseyin Sakci (TUR) – 25.87
3. Joao Gomes (BRA) – 26.01
4. Nicolo Martinenghi (ITA) – 26.02
5. Nic Fink (USA) – 26.09
6. Arno Kamminga (NED) – 26.20
7. Andrei Nikolaev (RSF) – 26.24
8. Kirill Strelnikov (RSF) – 26.25
9. Fabian Schwingenschlogl (GER) – 26.34
10. Jaekwon Moon (KOR) – 26.46
11. Olli Kokko (FIN)/Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) – 26.54
12. –
13. Tobias Bjerg (DEN)/Yan Zibei (CHN) – 26.71
14. –
15. Kristian Pitshugin (ISR) – 26.74
16. Lucas Matzerath (GER) – 26.81

100 breast Gold medalist Ilya Shymanovich appears to have rebounded from his disappointing semifinals performance in the 200 breast. Shymanovich clocked the fastest time of the morning with a 25.77. Turkey’s Huseyin Sakci was the only other man under 26 seconds in the event this morning. 200 Breast champion Nic Fink advanced to semifinals as well, finishing 5th with a 26.09.

WOMEN’S 4×200 FREESTYLE – HEATS:

• World Record: 7:32.85 – Netherlands – 3 DEC 2014
• Championship Record: 7:32.85 – Netherlands – 3 DEC 2014

START LIST

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Russian Swimming Federation – 7:44.49
2. United States – 7:45.58
3. China – 7:47.50
4. Hungary – 7:48.28
5. Germany – 7:50.87
6. Canada – 7:53.82
7. Brazil – 7:54.40
8. Hong Kong – 7:55.48

Russia and the U.S. battled it out in the first heat, with the Americans leading for the majority of the race. RSF gained the upper hand on the anchor leg, where Valeriia Salamatina split 1:54.80, besting American anchor Paige Madden by 1.20 seconds.

MEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – HEATS:

• World Record: 14:08.06 – PALTRINIERI Gregorio (ITA) 4 DEC 2015
• Championship Record: 14:09.14 – ROMANCHUK Mykhailo (UKR) 16 DEC 2018
• World Junior Record: 14:27.78 – PALTRINIERI Gregorio (ITA) 24 NOV 2012

START LIST

Top 8 Qualifiers: