Bentz Sprints Home to Win 200 IM at World Juniors Day 2

Day two of the 2013 FINA World Junior Championships will have easily the longest finals session of the meet, with 11 finals/semi-finals, including 8 sets of medals being awarded.

As a reminder, here’s all the links you need to follow the meet (now with working live results and live streams).
Read the full day 2 prelims recap here.

Schedule:

• Boys 100 back (FINAL)
• Girls 200 fly (FINAL)
• Boys 200 free (FINAL)
• Girls 50 breast (FINAL)
• Boys 100 fly (SEMIFINAL)
• Boys 100 breast (FINAL)
• Girls 100 back (FINAL)
• Boys 200 IM (FINAL)
• Girls 800 free (TIMED FINAL – FASTEST HEAT)
• Mixed 400 medley relay (FINAL)

Boys’ 100 Back – FINAL

Though lacking the traditional high-profile junior names that we’ll see in most finals this week, the boys’ 100 backstroke might have found some new ones.

Greece’s Apostolos Christou won in a new Championship Record of 54.87, breaking the 54.99 set by New Zealand’s Daniel Bell in 2008, which gives the Greeks their first medal of this year’s meet, and only their second World Junior title in history.

He was followed closely by Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys, who is part of a Meilutyte-led resurgence in the youth of his country’s swimming, with a 55.24. Bronze went to Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich in 55.33 – that was slower than he was to take the European Junior title just over a month ago, but even his best time wouldn’t have necessarily topped Christou (who didn’t even medal in the 100 at Euros).

Dylan Carter was 4th in 55.36 representing Trinidad & Tobago, and the lone American representative Connor Green was 7th in 55.54.

Women’s 200 Fly – FINAL

In prelims, Hungary’s Liliana Szilagyi looked dominant, taking the top seed by over a second.

In finals, however, American Katie McLaughlin crushed her own personal best, knocked four-and-a-half seconds off of her prelims time, and took the win in 2:08.72.

Szilagyi still had a strong result, touching 2nd in 2:09.46 to give her the first Hungarian medal in the history of the Junior World Championships (which is fairly surprising). Japan’s Misuzu Yabu was 3rd in 2:10.76, using a great final 50 to hold off Australia’s Allanna Bowles(2:11.36).

Dropping time was the name of the game in this final; the top five finishers improved from prelims, the last three did not. Completing the group of those who improved was the second American, Becca Mann, who was a 2:13.51 for 5th place.

Men’s 200 freestyle – FINAL

On the first day of competition Australian Mack Horton collected two gold winning the 400 freestyle in a new championship record and as part of the Australian men’s 4 x 100 freestyle relay.

Day number two started out much the same way.

Horton won the men’s 200 freestyle in a new championship record time of 1:47.55 breaking the 2008 mark of 1:47.63 set by World Championships bronze medalist Danila Izotov of Russia. Horton was fourth at the half way point of the race and eventually pulled away from the field in the final 50 meters.

This was an exceptional result for Horton, coming into the meet his lifetime best was a 1:50.19 which he posted at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in January.

James Guy of Great Britain finished second to Horton yesterday in the 400 freestyle and did so once again in the 200 freestyle finishing in a time of 1:48.18. Guy came into the meet with the fastest entry times in both the 200 and 400 freestyle, but in both the events fell short of those marks.

Italian Andrea Mitchel D’Arrigo challenged Guy for the silver, but did not have enough to catch him in the final 50 meters finishing in third recording a time of 1:48.28.

D’Arrigo’s Italian teammate Nicolangelo Di Fabio finished fourth in a time of 1:48.49 followed by Russian Alexsandr Krasnykh who finished fifth in a time of 1:48.61.

American Caeleb Dressel used his speed in the first half of the race turning first in a time of 52.85, but faded back to the sixth position posting a 1:49.29.

Australian Regan Leong finished seventh in a time of 1:49.81 followed by Luiz Altamir Melo of Brazil who finished eighth in a time of 1:49.93.

Women’s 50 breaststroke – FINAL

In what may be the least surprising result of the competition Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte won the women’s 50 breaststroke in a new championship record time of 29.89. Meilutyte broke her own championship record of 30.04, which she set in the semi-final of the event yesterday evening.

Ukrainian Viktoriya Solnceva and Sophie Taylor of Great Britain had a thrilling battle for the silver. Solnceva out touched Taylor by four one-hundredths of a second collecting the silver in a time of 31.34. Taylor picked up the bronze posting a time of 31.38, a time that ties the British 17 year old age group record that she set yesterday in the semi-finals.

Italian Arianna Castiglioni finished fourth in a time of 31.52, Australian Jenna Strauch finished fifth in a time of 31.68, Hungarian Anna Sztankovics finished sixth in a time of 32.20, Jessica Marie Billquist of Sweden finished seventh in a time of 32.44 followed by Dalma Sebestyen of Hungary who finished eighth in a time of 32.57.

Men’s 100 butterfly – Semi-final

Americans Matthew Josa and Justin Lynch qualified for the top two spots in tomorrow’s 100 butterfly final. Josa was the fastest qualifier posting a time of 52.96 while Lynch recorded a 53.29. Both were about half a second off of their season’s bests.

Pedro Vierira of Brazil qualified third in a time of 53.41 followed by Russian Alexander Kudashev qualified fourth in a time of 53.52.

Ryan Coetzee of South Africa qualified fifth in a time of 53.59, on the day Coetzee has improved his lifetime best by a second and a half, it will be interesting to see if he can continue to improve in the final.

Takaya Yasue of Japan qualified seventh in a time of 53.76. Don’t count Yasue out of the hunt for a spot on the podium as his semi-final swim was almost a second slower than his season’s best of 52.96.

Australian Sascha Michel Subarsky qualified seventh in a time of 53.95 while Masato Sakai of Japan who qualified in eighth posting a time of 53.99.

Women’s 100 freestyle – Semi-final

Russian Rozaliya Nasretdinova will be the fastest qualifier in tomorrow night’s 100 freestyle final after posting a 55.05 this evening.

Ruta Meilutyte expanded her program in Dubai and in her first non-breaststroke event she posted a lifetime best of 55.16. Meilutyte and American Cierra Runge tied for the second fastest time in semi-finals.

Australian Shyna Jack qualified fourth in a time of 55.34.

Mariia Baklakova of Russia was the fifth fastest qualifier recording a 55.35. Baklakova should be a gold medal threat as she has the fastest time of the season in the field having recorded a 54.78 in July.

Siobhan Bernadette Haughey of Hong Kong qualified in sixth with a time of 55.44, Grace Vertigans of Great Britain qualified seventh in a time of 55.69 followed by American Mary Schneider who qualified eighth posting a time of 56.05.

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – FINAL