2020 BELARUSIAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 17-19, 2020
- Brest, Belarus
- SCM (25m)
- Live Results
The third and final day of the 2020 Belarusian Short Course Championships had no shortage of excitement, as several records went down – including a new world record from Ilya Shymanovich.
Shymanovich put up a time of 55.34 in the men’s 100 breaststroke, erasing the all-time mark of 55.41 set by Adam Peaty last month during the International Swimming League season in Budapest. Peaty had first broken the record one week prior in 55.49, erasing Cameron van der Burgh‘s 55.61 that had stood since 2009.
Coming into this meet, Shymanovich held a best time of 55.49, done in the same race when Peaty set the record in 55.41. You can read more about this record here.
The 26-year-old Shymanovich wasn’t done there, as he appeared at the end of the session on Minsk’s mixed 200 medley relay. Having already recorded the fastest 50 breast relay split of all-time at the meet, clocking 25.04 on day one in the men’s medley relay, Shymanovich put up the first-ever sub-25 leg in 24.92.
Prior to the competition, he held what is believed to be fastest split of all-time at 25.20 from the 2018 SC Worlds.
PEKARSKI SHINES
Shymanovich wasn’t the only star of the day, as five other national records went down, with Grigori Pekarski having a hand in three of them.
Pekarski, 22, came into the day on fire, having already broken Belarus’ National Record in the 100 free, and having come very close in both the 50 free and 100 fly.
During the prelim session, the Belarusian National Team swam a time trial in the men’s 4×100 free relay, with Pekarski leading off in 47.08 to break his national record of 47.32 set two days prior.
He was followed by Ruslan Skamaroshka (46.94), Viktar Staselovich (47.97) and Yauhen Tsurkin (47.83), who combined for a final time of 3:09.82, breaking the national record of 3:10.59 from the 2018 SC World Championships.
That team was comprised of Tsurkin (47.76), Pekarski (47.07), Staselovich (48.33) and former 100 free NR holder, Artyom Machekin (47.43).
Pekarski also reset the Belarusian Record in the men’s 50 butterfly, hitting a time of 22.40 in the prelims to break Tsurkin’s mark of 22.45 from 2013. In the final, Pekarski (22.59) edged out the 30-year-old Tsurkin (22.64) for the victory.
SHKURDAI, ZMUSHKA FINISH STRONG
Joining Shymanovich and Pekarkski in the record-breaking party all meet was Anastasiya Shkurdai and Alina Zmushka, and they kept things going on Saturday.
Shkurdai, coming off of smashing the national record in the 200 back twice on Friday, lowered the 100 back record in 56.87 on the meet’s final day, erasing Aliaksandra Herasimenia‘s 2009 mark of 56.98.
Zmushka, who broke her own records in the 50 and 200 breaststroke earlier, completed the trifecta by recording a time of 1:05.24 in the women’s 100 breast prelims to down her mark of 1:05.30 from the 2019 European Championships. The 23-year-old would go on to win the final in 1:05.40.
OTHER EVENTS
- After breaking the national record on day two in 21.46, Tsurkin picked up the win in the men’s 50 free in a time of 21.49, with Pekarski right behind in 21.50.
- Nastassia Karakouskaya won the women’s 50 free in a time of 24.66, just off her best time of 24.53.
- Coming off his morning swim in the record-breaking relay, Viktar Staselovich completed the men’s backstroke sweep, winning the 100 in a time of 50.50, well under his previous best time of 51.26. The national record stands at 50.05 from Pavel Sankovich in 2009. Staselovich also led off Minsk’s winning relay in the mixed 200 medley in 23.20, having now been 23.18, 23.19 and 23.20 over the course of the meet.
- Anastasiya Kuliashova, who has picked up multiple wins over the course of the meet, added to her tally in the women’s 50 fly in 26.45, going under her previous best of 26.60.
- 15-year-old Katsiaryna Repeka topped the women’s 400 free field in a time of 4:15.07, blowing by her previous lifetime best of 4:24.81 set in November 2019.
- Kanstantin Kurachkin, 20, won the men’s 400 free in a PB of 3:47.43, having lowered it down from 3:48.94 to 3:47.88 in the heats. He sits just over two seconds off the national record that has stood since 1998 (3:45.40, Igor Koleda).
- 17-year-old Yeva Andrasiuk won the women’s 200 IM in 2:15.19, while 19-year-olds Alexander Tkachev (2:02.64) and Yauheni Busau (2:02.71) had a tight 1-2 in the men’s race.