Jana Pavalic Resets Croatian Record With A 26.38 50 Fly Victory At World Juniors

2022 FINA WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

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En route to a gold medal in the women’s 50 butterfly at the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships, Jana Pavalic has downed the Croatian national record with a 26.38. That time for was good enough to undercut her own national record of 26.50 from back in June 2021.

Pavalic lead the field in the prelims of this race when she swam a 26.86 as the only sub-27 swim and followed up with a 27.01 for third place in the semi-finals. She managed to hold off her competitors in the final when she delivered her 26.38 NR, defeating Brazil’s Beatriz Bezerra who hit a 26.67 for silver. Lillian Slusna of Slovakia was next with a 27.04 for bronze.

Girls 50 Butterfly – Finals Results

• World Record — 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (2014)
• World Junior Record — 25.46, Rikako Ikee (2017)
• World Jr Champ Record — 25.46, Rikako Ikee (2017)

Top 3:

1. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 26.38
2. Beatriz Bezerra (BRA) – 26.67
3. Lillian Slusna (SVK) – 27.04

While her swim was fast enough to win the event and reset the national record, Pavalic was still almost a second off the current World Juniors Championships record, which is also the world junior record, of 25.46 from Rikako Ikee back in 2017.

Pavalic isn’t finished racing yet and will back in action on Saturday as the top seed in the 50 freestyle. She is entered with a 25.34, which she delivered in Romania earlier this summer. She was faster than that time, however, when she hit a 25.28 at the European Junior Championships in 2021. She’s tied with Bianca-Andreea Costea of Spain as the top seed.

Pavalic’s 25.28 in 2021 was a new Croatian record in the event and she also holds the national record in the 100 freestyle at a 56.09, also from the European Junior Championships. Pavalic did not, however, race the 100 free at World Juniors.