2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
- Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
- Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
- Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
- Full aquatics schedule
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Anastasiia Kirpichnikova produced a three-second best time in the preliminaries of the women’s 800 freestyle during the penultimate heats session in Tokyo, qualifying for the final and smashing her Russian Record.
Kirpichnikova closed in 29.67 over the final 50 meters to out-touch Australian Ariarne Titmus and win the third heat in 8:18.77, lowering her National Record of 8:21.86 set at the European Championships in May.
Split Comparison
| Kirpichnikova, 2021 Euros | Kirpichnikova, 2021 Olympics |
| 29.55 | 29.19 |
| 1:00.80 (31.25) | 1:00.18 (30.99) |
| 1:32.47 (31.67) | 1:31.42 (31.24) |
| 2:03.93 (31.46) | 2:02.87 (31.45) |
| 2:35.58 (31.65) | 2:34.39 (31.52) |
| 3:07.10 (31.52) | 3:06.08 (31.69) |
| 3:38.78 (31.68) | 3:37.70 (31.62) |
| 4:10.38 (31.60) | 4:09.25 (31.55) |
| 4:42.15 (31.77) | 4:40.74 (31.49) |
| 5:13.59 (31.44) | 5:12.23 (31.49) |
| 5:45.32 (31.73) | 5:43.63 (31.40) |
| 6:16.89 (31.57) | 6:15.04 (31.41) |
| 6:48.59 (31.70) | 6:46.39 (31.35) |
| 7:20.16 (31.57) | 7:17.85 (31.46) |
| 7:51.64 (31.48) | 7:49.10 (31.25) |
| 8:21.86 (30.22) | 8:18.77 (29.67) |
Kirpichnikova entered the all-time top-20 performers list for about 10 minutes, overtaking France’s Laure Manaudou for 20th (8:18.80), but 15-year-old American Katie Grimes dropped a time of 8:17.05 in the very next heat, bumping Kirpichnikova down to 21st in history.
Prior to lowering her National Record at Euros, Kirpichnikova held the previous record at 8:22.65 from December 2020.
Kirpichnikova 800 Free Progression
- 2017 – 8:31.12
- 2018 – 8:39.80
- 2019 – 8:34.53
- 2020 – 8:22.65
- 2021 – 8:18.77
The 21-year-old won silver in the 800 free at those European Championships two months in Budapest, and did the same in the 1500 free and added a bronze in the mixed 4×200 free relay.
This being her Olympic debut, Kirpichnikova has now reset two Russian Records in Tokyo, also doing so in the 1500 free a few days ago (15:50.22 in the prelims, ultimately placing seventh in the final).
Congrats to Anastasia for making both 800 free and 1500 free finals.
MA should train with Lucas who would fix his endurance and freestyle problems at the end of his 200 IM.
Philippe Lucas’ magic once again.