The HardCoreSwim of the week for the 2013 World University Games goes to the Russian men’s 400 free relay. Vlad Morozov was quite impressive on his own, but as part of the relay, he was even more astounding.
WUG: Russians Post Fastest Time of 2013 in 4 x 100 Free Relay
KAZAN, RUSSIA – The Russians haven’t had a contender in the 100 metre freestyle since Alexander Popov hung up his suit the year after Athens. This year they are fielding a squad of them, as the Russian 4 x 100 freestyle relay crushed the field at the World University Games last week.
The combined 3:10.88 was far and away the fastest time of the year, and is also only a couple seconds behind the world record set by the Americans in Beijing (3:08.24).
6’6” Andrey Grechin, swimming the lead off leg, was off like a shot, clocking a 47.98., opening up a 1.5 second lead. The time puts Grechin third in the world for the 100 this year, behind only James Magnussen (AUS – 47.53) and his teammate Morozov (47.62 – swum later in the individual event). Grechin has dropped over half a second in the event this year from his best of 48.51.
Morozov swam a blistering third leg, splitting a 47.14 (turning in border-line ridiculous 21.66), in a swim that would accurately forecast the way his individual event would go later on in the meet. Morozov swims under Dave Salo at the Trojan Swim Club in southern California, as do Nikita Lobintsev and several other Russians.
The race split by leg:
Lead-off leg: Andrey Grechin – 47.98
2nd leg: Nikita Lobintsev – 47.92
3rd leg: Vladimir Morozov – 47.14
4th leg: Danila Izotov – 47.84
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Grechin 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) / 47.98
Lobints. 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) / 47.92
Izotov… 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) / 47.84
Moroz.. 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)/ 47.14
When it comes to Russians, being tall isn’t a good thing.