Arina Surkova Finishes Russian Championships with 50 Fly National Record

2019 RUSSIAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• April 8th-12th, 2019
• Moscow, Russia
• LCM (50m) pool
• Meet Results
• Live Stream
• Selection Procedures

A new Russian Record from Arina Surkova in the final of the women’s 50 fly highlighted the final day of competition in Moscow, Russia at the 2019 Russian Championships. The Russian Federation has not yet declared their official roster for the World Championships, but 29 swimmers both placed in the top 2 and swam under the World Championship standard set by the Russian Federation this week.

Surkova won the women’s 50 fly in 25.85, which in the process broke Svetlana Chimrova‘s Russian Record in the event. Chimrova swam 25.92 in 2015, though lately her focus has been more on the 200.

Surkova scratched the 100 fly earlier in the meet, but did place 2nd in the 50 free in 24.83. That was a lifetime best for her by 2-tenths, but this 50 fly did even more damage on her personal best, which was just 26.88 coming into the meet.

Chimrova, who didn’t hit a Russian qualifying standard in anything this week after having trouble with her health earlier this year, took 2nd in 26.34.

In the men’s 50 free, Russian sprint star Vlad Morozov won his first and only race of the meet, swimming a 21.55. That sits behind only Italy’s Andrea Vergani among world-leading times so far this season.

Morozov was the only swimmer to go sub-22 in this race; Ivan Kuzmenko was 2nd in 22.12, while the 100 free champion Vladislav Grinev tied for 3rd in 22.13 (with 100 and 200 backstroke champion Evgeny Rylov). That is still a big drop for Grinev, who came in to the meet with a lifetime best of 22.76 (from March of this year).

Other Day 5 Winners:

• Andrei Minakov won the men’s 100 fly in 51.79. That’s under the invite time for the World Championships, though its slower than the 51.12 that he swam to win at the Youth Olympic Games in October. He was the only swimmer to hit the Worlds qualifying time in that race.
• Viktoria Belyakova cruised to a win in the women’s 200 IM in 2:13.42. That’s 9-tenths of a second ahead of runner-up Irina Prykhodko, with neither coming close to the Worlds selection standard of 2:12.56.
• After his lifetime best in the semi-finals on Thursday, Martin Malyutin swam another best time of 1:45.46 to win the men’s 200 free final on Friday. His best time coming into the meet was just 1:47.46, and he now ranks #1 in the world so far this season. Mikhail Dovgalyuk also swam a best time, touching 2nd in 1:46.08. Aleksandr Krasnykh was 3rd in 1:46.34, and Ivan Girev was 4th in 1:46.54. The Russians are the defending World Championship silver medalists in the 800 free relay. With Russian Record holder Danila Izotov apparently back out of the mix (he was entered in this meet but scratched all 3 of his events), Malyutin’s emergence comes at a good moment for the country.
• Anna Belousova shaved another tenth off her best time from the semi-finals with a 1:06.34 to win the women’s 100 breaststroke. Her best time coming into the meet was a 1:07.98 that she swam at the 2013 edition of this meet, when she was just 16 years old. After missing the top 2 in the 200 breaststroke, Yulia Efimova swam 1:07.05 for 2nd place and a Worlds qualifying time in this 100. The 200 champion, 14-year old Evgenia Chikunova, was 5th in this race in 1:08.03.
• Kirill Prigoda won the men’s 100 breaststroke in 59.52, just touching-out Anton Chupkov, who was 2nd in 59.57. Chupkov was the winner in the 200 breaststroke earlier in the meet in a w orld-leading time.
• Daria Vaskina won the women’s 100 backstroke in 59.46 – which is both a Worlds qualifying time and a new Russian Junior Record in the event. National Team captain and National Record holder Anastasia Fesikova placed 2nd and locked up her spot for the World Championships with a 59.71. 200 back champion Anastasia Avdeeva was 3rd in the 100 in 1:01.19: well back of the leaders.
• Maxim Stupin won his first and only event of the meet with a 4:16.30 in the men’s 400 IM. His best time at last year’s European Championships was a 4:17.60. Andrey Zhilkin’s 1:58 in the 200 IM is the only Worlds qualifying time that the Russians had in either of the 4 IM races at the meet, men’s or women’s.

Swimmers Who Have Hit the World Championship Qualifying Standard, After Conclusion of Meet

Men:

Women: