2023 World Junior Championships: Day 5 Prelims Live Recap

2023 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• September 4 – 9, 2023
• Netanya, Israel
• Wingate Institute
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• How To Watch
• Psych Sheets
• Live Results
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap| Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Heat Sheet (Start List)

Day 5 of the 2023 World Junior Championships in Netanya, Israel is about to be underway.

DAY 5 PRELIMS EVENT SCHEDULE

• Boys 100 Freestyle – Prelims
• Girls 100 Butterfly – Prelims
• Boys 400 Individual Medley – Prelims
• Girls 50 Freestyle – Prelims
• Boys 50 Breaststroke – Prelims
• Girls 4×100 Freestyle Relay – Prelims
• Girls 1500 Freestyle – Slowest Heats (Timed Finals)

DAY 5 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET (START LIST)

The men’s 100 free should be a very interesting event. Australian Flynn Southam is the top seed by a huge margin, coming in with a speedy 47.77. That being said, Southam has had a bit of an up and down week in Israel. Meanwhile, American Maximus Williamson is the #2 seed coming in and he’s been on fire all week, especially in the free events.

Following her win in the girls 50 fly last night, American Leah Shackley comes in as the #2 seed in the 100 fly this morning. That should be an interesting event as well, since Shackley will be going up against Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Lana Pudar, who is the top seed. That dynamic will see the 50 fly champion go up against the 200 fly champion.

BOYS 100 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 46.86 – David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• Championship Record: 47.07 – David Popovici, Romania (2022)
• 2024 Olympic ‘A’ Standard: 48.34
  • ‘B’ Standard: 48.58
• Time for 16th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 50.98

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Edward Sommerville (Australia) – 49.74
2. Daniel Diehl (United States) – 49.82
3. Flynn Southam (Australia) – 49.88
4. Szymon Misiak (Poland) – 50.07  (TIE)
5. Maximus Williamson (United States) – 50.07 (TIE)
6. Nikoli Blackman (Trinidad and Tobago) – 50.08
7. Ji Yicun (China) – 50.09
8. Pedro Sansone (Brazil) – 50.11
9. Vlaho Nenadic (Croatia) – 50.13
10. Filip Senc-Samardzic (Canada) – 50.20
11. Tobias Kern (Czech Republic) – 50.41
12. Davide Passafaro (Italy) – 50.48
13. Vinicius Rizza (Brazil) – 50.57
14. Lorenzo Ballarati (Italy) – 50.58
15. Hrvoje Tomic (Croatia) – 50.63
16. Jakub Krischke (Czech Republic) – 50.65

Prelims of the boys 100 free was a bit sluggish this morning, seeing only 3 swimmers go under 50 seconds. That being said, we know many of these swimmers will go considerably faster tonight in semifinals.

Leading the way was Australian Edward Sommerville, who clocked a 49.74. That was a solid swim for Sommerville, who was the #5 seed with a 49.54 coming into the event. He was strong on the back half of the race this morning, coming home in 25.80.

Daniel Diehl came in 2nd with a 49.82, getting out to the fastest 1st 50 split in the field with a speedy 23.53.

The other Australian in the field, Flynn Southam, was the only other swimmer to go under 50 seconds, clocking a 49.88. Southam, who was the top seed coming in with a 47.77, was excellent on the back half of the race, splitting 25.68 on the 2nd 50.

Of note, American Maximus Williamson swam a 50.07 this morning to tie for 4th. Williamson has already been as fast as 48.38 in the 100 free this week, a time which he swam leading off the mixed 4×100 free relay the other day.

GIRLS 100 BUTTERFLY – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 56.43 – Claire Curzan, United States (2021)
• Championship Record: 57.25 – Rikako Ikee, United States (2017)
• 2024 Olympic ‘A’ Standard: 57.92
  • ‘B’ Standard: 58.21
• Time for 16th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 1:03.82

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Hirai Mizuki (Japan) – 58.69
2. Leah Shackley (United States) – 58.71
3. Ella Jansen (Canada) – 58.85
4. Doyeon Kim (South Korea) – 59.21
5. Olivia Wunsch (Australia) – 59.45
6. Bailey Hartman (United States) – 59.60
7. Lana Pudar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – 59.61
8. Hoi Yeung (Hong Kong) – 59.86
9. Isabella Boyd (Australia) – 59.87 (TIE)
10. Victoria Raymond (Canada) – 59.87 (TIE)
11. Paola Borrelli (Italy) – 1:00.05
12. Kristine Norby (Denmark) – 1:00.41
13. Shiori Okami (Japan) – 1:00.74
14. Paulina Cierpialowska (Poland) – 1:00.82
15. Kamonchanok Kwanmuang (Thailand) – 1:00.91
16. Hana Sekuti (Slovenia) – 1:01.26

It was neither 50 fly champion Leah Shackley or 200 fly champion Lana Pudar who posted the top time in the 100 fly this morning. Rather, it was Japan’s Hirai Mizuki who swam the fastest time of the morning with a 58.69. She was great on the back half of the race, swimming a 31.53 on the 2nd 50.

American Shackley wasn’t far behind, taking 2nd overall with a 58.71. Shackley, who won the 50 fly last night, was out the fastest of anyone in the field this morning, swimming a speedy 27.00 on the 1st 50.

After a very tough double yesterday, Canada’s Ella Jansen looks to be in better form this morning, taking 3rd this morning in the 100 fly. Jansen swam a 58.85, clipping her previous best of 58.92.

Lana Pudar, the 200 fly champion from the 2nd day of the meet, took 7th this morning with a 59.61. Pudar has the fastest personal best in this field by a huge margin, having been as fast as 56.95.

BOYS 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 4:10.02 – Ilia Borodin, Russia (2021)
• Championship Record: 4:11.93 – Apostolos Papastamos, Greece (2019)
• 2024 Olympic ‘A’ Standard: 4:12.50
  • ‘B’ Standard: 4:13.76
• Time for 8th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 4:26.13

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. Tomoyuki Matsushita (Japan) – 4:17.31
2. Lorne Wigginton (Canada) – 4:18.18
3. Drew Hitchcock (United States) – 4:19.09
4. Riku Yamaguchi (Japan) – 4:19.25
5. Zhang Zhanshuo (China) – 4:20.45
6. Cooper Lucas (United States) – 4:20.84
7. Robert Badea (Romania) – 4:22.84
8. Oleksii Hrabarov (Ukraine) – 4:24.36

Tomoyuki Matsushita posted the top time of the morning in the boys 400 IM, swimming a 4:17.31. Matsushita was excellent on the front half of the race, splitting 56.32 on fly and 1:05.59 on back for a 2:01.91 on the first 200m. His first 200 split was the fastest in the field by over 2 seconds.

Canadian Lorne Wigginton, who has been having a great week so far, was 2nd this morning in 4:18.18. Wigginton was strong on the breast split this morning, clocking a 1:12.97.

American Drew Hitchcock was 3rd this morning in 4:19.09, fueled by a 59.63 on the free split.

GIRLS 50 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 24.17 – Claire Curzan, United States (2021)
• Championship Record: 24.59 – Rikako Ikee, Japan (2017)
• 2024 Olympic ‘A’ Standard: 24.70
  • ‘B’ Standard: 24.82
• Time for 16th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 27.11

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Annam Olasewere (United States) – 25.11
2. Olivia Wunsch (Australia) – 25.13
3. Caroline Larsen (United States) – 25.22
4. Sara Curtis (Italy) – 25.33
5. Zoe Pedersen (New Zealand) – 25.38
6. Hannah Casey (Australia) – 25.50
7. Lillian Slusna (Slovakia) – 25.53
8. Seoa Lee (South Korea) – 25.68
9. Alexandra Hrncarova (Slovakia) – 25.75
10. Shane Golland (Israel) – 25.79
11. Matilde Biagiotti (Italy) – 25.93
12. Rebecca Diaconescu (Romania) – 25.98
13. Sienna Angove (Canada) – 26.00
14. Jessica Thompson (South Africa) – 26.03
15. Smilte Plytnykaite (Lithuania) – 26.05
16. Gilaine Ma (Hong Kong) – 26.13

American Annam Olasewere was the top performer in the girls 50 free this morning, clocking a 25.11. That time represents a fantastic prelims swim for Olasewere, who holds a personal best of 25.08, which she swam at the U.S. Trials a little over 2 months ago.

Australian Olivia Wunsch came in 2nd with a 25.13, Wunsch was the top seed coming into the event, holding a personal best of 24.85.

The other American in the field, Caroline Larsen, was also just off her personal best. Larsen swam a 25.22, which comes in just 0.03 seconds off her career mark of 25.19.

BOYS 50 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 26.97 – Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy (2017)
• Championship Record: 27.02 – Nicolo Martinenghi, Italy (2017)
• Time for 16th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 29.90

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

1. Felix Iberle (Indonesia) – 26.98 (Championship Record)
2. Jonas Gaur (Denmark) – 27.52
3. Watson Nguyen (United States) – 27.90
4. Arsen Kozhakhmetov (Kazakhston) – 28.15
5. Yamato Okadome (Japan) – 28.23
6. Joshua Chen (United States) – 28.26
7. Gideon Burnes (Australia) – 28.31
8. Emilian Hollank (Germany) – 28.41
9. Nil Cadevall (Spain) – 28.47
10. Jorge Garcia (Spain) – 28.49
11. Xavier Ruiz (Puerto Rico) – 28.54
12. Bransly Dirksz (Aruba) – 28.58
13. Yik Tsui (Hong Kong) – 28.87
14. Thomas Truter (South Africa) – 28.93
15. Lars Antoniak (Estonia) – 29.03
16. Oliver Dawson (Canada) – 29.07

Indonesia’s Felix Iberle clocked a 26.98 to lead the boys 50 breast by a huge margin this morning, breaking the Championship Record. The CR stood at 27.02 by Nicolo Martinenghi from the 2017 World Juniors. Though he had one of the slowest reaction times in the field this morning, Iberle managed to post the top time of the morning by over half a second.

Only two other swimmers in the event this morning went under 28 seconds. Denmark’s Jonas Gaur posted a 27.52, while American Watson Nguyen came in 3rd with a 27.90.

GIRLS 4×100 FREESTYLE RELAY – PRELIMS

• World Junior Record: 3:36.19 – Canada (2017)
• Championship Record: 3:36.19 – Canada (2017)
• Time for 8th at 2022 World Jr Champs: 4:02.80

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

1. United States – 3:41.58
2. Australia – 3:42.61
3. Canada – 3:43.91
4. Lithuania – 3:47.19
5. Italy – 3:47.42
6. Israel – 3:48.60
7. South Africa – 3:51.18
8. South Korea – 3:51.81

The U.S. team led prelims of the girls 4×100 free relay by a little over a second this morning. Madi Mintenko (55.94), Addison Sauickie (54.65), Teagan O’Dell (55.35), and Bailey Hartman (55.64) teamed up to clock a 3:41.58.

While we can expect the U.S. to be faster tonight, it’s likely the Australian team will be even faster. This morning, Australia’s team of Jamie Perkins (55.93), Amelia Weber (56.10), Jaimie de Lutiis (55.26), and Hannah Casey (55.32) combined for a 3:42.61, which was good for the 2nd fastest time of the morning.

We know at a minimum Australia will add 100 free champion Olivia Wunsch and silver medalist Milla Jansen to their group, which will make a huge difference.