Russian butterflier Svetalana Chimrova, who is just past 17 years old, has broken the Russian National Record in the 100 fly with a 58.22 at this week’s Russian Championships in Moscow. The old standard belonged to Natalia Sutyagina, who at the 2008 Olympics, at the twilight of her career, swam a 58.32.
Chimrova is part of a young Russian women’s squad that is building slowly in a way that would seem to put them on perfect target to explode at the 2015 World Championships, hosted at home, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Chimrova is having a great year, and this is the second personal-best she’s done in 2013 (she was 58.5 in April). This swim was a bit more controlled than her previous best; she went out in 27.24 and came home in 30.98 here. That seems to be the biggest difference for her this year: specifically the abiility to get controlled speed out of the front-half without dying coming home.
Her split progression seems to indicate a swimmer who is really starting to feel her way through “her race”.
Full, live meet results are available here. SwimSwam will have a full report on this meet, which is the selector for the Junior World Championships (but not the senior World Championships), at its conclusion on Thursday.
Zueva out of world
OK, I forget Russia for the medley relay.
If this is true, an important question: who’s going to replace Zueva?
> Women’s IM relay is evolving towards something that one could call exciting.
Until I checked the Australia. Maybe the exitement at who’s going to get silver or bronze.
This makes me even more sad that Denmark will have to scratch, with Mie fighting fit we might have been in with an outside shot of a medal:
Østergaard Nielsen, 1:00.56
Møller Pedersen, 1:06.05
Ottesen Gray, 57.89
Blume, 54.85
– 3:59.35
Yes, I bypassed the Australians but, actually, I was fully aware of the Danish potential. I left you out just because of the disapponting happening with regard to Nielsen. Who’s going to replace her?
The Danish Swimming Federation has said that they will withdraw as we do not have another qualified backstroker. Our next best after Mie is Sarah Wiegant Bro, her best this year is 1:03.87.
That’s the problem with being such a small country, we are lucky enough to have some very great talents but there’s very little depth behind them.
Exactly!
We should allow a hiring system. Every nation under 15 million inhabitants is eligible to include in its relay team one or two swimmer(s) from another similar small country. In this case you could phone Czech Republic, which probably isn’t going to have its own relay team in BCN, and try to persuade Simona Baumrtova to join your quartet. 😉
And Finland can always lend out Hanna Maria Seppala.
Where’s she now by the way?
She showed so much potential in 2003.
Hanna-Maria is still competing and will be at the Barcelona. She stated earlier this year that she hoped to achieve the same form (53,97) as she had at the Beijing Olympics 2008 already in this summer. Concluding from her results in the Mare Nostrum series, it is not going to happen. She has also a couple of projects going on in Finland such as trying to help younger promising Finnish athletes to get sponshorships through her “aim higher” scheme, which is actually going on quite well as far as I know:
http://www.aimhigher.fi/en
By the way, her success in 2003 led to the title of Athlete of the year 2003 in Finland. It is the… Read more »
Russia is heading a right direction indeed. It is always good if a host country is fighting for medals. It is an excellent moment to advance popularity of a particular sport in one country.
As for oncoming Medley relay in Barcelona, a little statistical comparison based on FINA ranking so far this year:
Russia:
Zueva, 1:00.24
Efimova, 1:07.24
Chimrova, 58.22
Popova, 54.25 // 3:59,95
Japan:
Terakawa, 58.84
Suzuki, 1:07.43
Hoshi, 58.53
Ueda, 55.17 // 3:59,97
China:
Fu, Yuanhui, 59,56
Sun, Ye, 1:07.90
Lu, Ying, 57.94
Tang, Yi, 54.03 // 3:59.43
My obsession with these rankings may be the reason why I’m almost always wrong about predicting… Read more »
Did you forget Australia or did you just not add them as they are so far superior (right now) to these three nations? Australia and the US could have a very good battle (with no Soni and Vollmer hasn’t looked as good this year). Then the three mentioned fighting for Bronze, possibly with Britain IF one of out breaststrokers drops down to 1.07. because we have too many women between 1.08-1.10 – many of them young.
Yes, I did forget! But seemingly I just managed to correct my mistake before you caught me. 🙂
I agree with you about the US quartet. Without Soni and properly prepared Vollmer Medley relay becomes more equal. Trials will make us wiser. As for the composition of US the quartet, only a backstroke leg seems obvious.
I think it’s quite funny to have forgotten about the aussie girls in the medley relay, as the last time they did NOT win a medley relay medal in worlds/olympics was 1994 Rome (by the way, the last time the USA girls did not win a medal in the medley relay was 2009 Rome).
USA is faster on backstroke and on breaststroke. Slight advantage to Australia on butterfly this year and big advantage to Australia on freestyle. It means at the end a very very very close race.
Bobo,
As for duel between the US and AUS, I wouldn’t be so confident about backstroke. As far as I know Seebohm is not having some sort of off year and she is still fastest women in textile. She has also posted a bit better time so far this year.
On the one hand Seebohm is probably just happy if all the pressure goes on Missy, but on the other, no one has ever told Missy what pressure means.
USA is still the favorite to win w4x100 medley, with Australia close behind for silver.
I’d call a tie between Missy and Seebohm, but USA kill it in breast and fly, and I’m very much doubtful Campbell can overcome the gap.
To swimfanfinland, Missy is already the best on backstroke with still many things to work. When she will improve her starts, her turns and her underwaters at Cal with Teri McKeever she will be absolutely unbeatable.
To aswimfan, Dana Vollmer isn’t as good as last year. I think she will swim at least 1 second slower in the relay while Alicia Coutts is still at the top of her game. So I give a slight advantage to Australia on butterfly.
Bobo,
if your prediction materializes, USA would still be favorite to win the medley relay.
Let’s break it down:
Backstroke:
You are saying Missy will be faster, so let’s give Missy half second faster than Seebohm.
Breast:
USA without Soni is at least one second faster than AUS without Jones. So by the end of breast, USA is 1.5 seconds ahead of AUS
Fly:
Let’s say you are correct (Vollmer will be a full second slower than she was last year), that would still make Vollmer as fast as Coutts’ PB. So by the end of fly, USA is still ahead of AUS by 1.5 seconds
Free:
Now, Campbell has to swim at least 1.5… Read more »
Russia prepares something explosive for their world championships at home in 2015 with all these young fast swimmers.
Zueva, Efimova, Chimrova, Popova: they’re ready for podium this summer, more than China or Japan imho