Kiril Prigoda Skates into Semis on Day 1 of Russian Olympic Trials

2016 RUSSIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS / OLYMPIC TRIALS

• April 16-23rd, 2016
• Moscow, Russia
• Prelims 09:00/Finals 18:00 Local Time
• Prelims 02:00/Finals 11:00 U.S. Eastern Time
• Live results (IN ENGLISH – including event-by-event start lists)

The 2016 Russian Olympic Trials began on Saturday morning in Moscow, and so far, nobody is under a Russian-mandated Olympic qualifying time.

The times, while faster than FINA’s “A” standards, are not quite as challenging as what have been presented in places like France and Great Britain.

Men’s 400 IM – Prelims

• Russian Selection Time: 4:15.45

In an event where the Russians didn’t have anybody final at last year’s World Championships, Semen Makovich led the way through prelims in 4:22.20, followed by Moscow’s home-town swimmer Alexander Osipenko.

Those two were the country’s representatives at last year’s World Championships, and both were much faster there.

Top 8 qualifiers to finals:

1. Semen Makovich, Samara Region, 4:22.20
2. Alexander Osipenko, Moscow City, 4:22.76
3. Alexander Tikhonov, Moscow City, 4:24.00
4. Nikolay Sokolov, Volgograd Region, 4:24.33
5. Dmitri Gorbunov, Moscow City, 4:25.47
6. Ivan Pavlov, Omsk Region, 4:26.66
7. Sergey Strelnikov, Volgograd Region, 4:27.12
8. Ivan Kustov, Moscow City, 4:27.40

Women’s 100 Fly – Prelims

• Russian Selection Time: 58.31

While again there was nobody under the qualifying time in the women’s 100 fly, Svetlana Chimrova, who’s already been a 57 here, showed at least some form in the morning heats with a top-seeded 58.65. She beat-out Daria Tcvetkova (58.86) and Natalia Lovtcova (59.26) for the top seed in Saturday evening’s semifinal rounds.

Chimrova opened her race in a split of 27.43. When she swam her lifetime best at a training meet earlier this year in Sweden, she opened a second faster, so that’s the target for her to get under the Olympic selection time.

Masters Work Record holder Anna Polyakova also qualified through to the semi-finals in 8th place.

Top 8 qualifiers to semi-finals:

1. Svetlana Chimrova, Moscow City, 58.65
2. Daria Tcvetkova, Altai Territory, 58.86
3. Natalia Lovtcova, Novosibirsk Region, 59.26
4. Viktoria Andreeva, Penza Region, 59.91
5. Polina Egorova, Bashkortostan, 59.96
6. Anastasia Lyazeva, St. Petersburg, 1:00.01
7. Ekaterina Shapanikova, St. Petersburg, 1:00.43
8. Anna Poliakova, St. Petersburg, 1:00.58

Men’s 400 Free – Prelims

• Russian Selection Standard: 3:48.27

It’s been several years since Russia had anybody go faster than 3:50 in the 400 freestyle, and early returns are that the men’s distance freestyles remain unlikely to have any qualifiers from Russia swimming at the Olympics.

Evgeny Kulikov topped the semi-finals in 3:53.72, followed by Viacheslav Andrusenko in 3:54.07.

Top 8 Qualifiers to Finals:

1. Evgeny Kulikov, Moscow City, 3:53.72
2. Viacheslav Andrusenko, St. Petersburg, 3:54.07
3. Alexander Fedorov, St. Petersburg, 3:54.11
4. Aleksandr Krasnykh, Tatarstan, 3:54.35
5. Yaroslav Potapov, Volgograd Region, 3:54.59
6. Ernest Maksumov, Tatarstan, 3:54.61
7. Mikhail Dovgalyuk, Moscow City, 3:55.17
8. Alexey Rtishchev, Moscow City, 3:56.06

Women’s 400 IM – Prelims

• Russian Selection Standard: 4:39.13

Kristina Vershinina was the top qualifier in the heats of the women’s 400 IM in 4:54.00, but in the final she’ll be bound on either side by a swimmer born in the year 2000 – with Irina Krivonogova (4:54.81) and Marina Namazova (4:55.10) qualifying 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

With no Yana Martynova racing, after she was suspended for 4 years after a failed doping test, Russia has been left thin in this event, but that has opened up a lot of opportunities for young swimmers to advance to finals. In total, half of Saturday night’s A-final were born in the year 2000, with a 5th swimmer born in 1999.

Top 8 qualifiers to finals:

1. Kristina Vershinina, KHMAO-Yugra, 4:54.00
2. Irina Krivonogova, Samara Region, 4:54.81*
3. Marina Namazova, Volgograd Region, 4:55.10*
4. Victoria Malyutina, Penza Region, 4:55.25
5. Angelina Kargaltseva, Lipetsk Region, 4:55.38
6. Aleksandra Maslova, Moscow City, 4:56.63*
7. Elena Shipillo, St. Petersburg, 4:57.80
8. Aleksandra Panova, St. Petersburg, 4:58.43*

* – Born in the Year 2000

Men’s 100 Breaststroke – Prelims

• Russian Selection Standard: 59.99

Vsevolod Zanko (1:00.71) and Grigorli Falko (1:00.81) were the top two qualifiers in the men’s 100 breaststroke prelims, but the real threat to qualify for the Olympics will be lurking in an outside lane in the semi-finals.

Kirill Prigoda, who was 7th at last year’s World Championships, swam 1:01.52 to play it dangerously-close in a very close preliminary round and qualify in 11th-position to the evening. Prigoda was one of the few swimmers who performed well at last year’s World Championships for Russia – he entered the meet having never been better than 1:00.99, but went sub-minute three times in Kazan including a 59.60.

Top 8 Qualifiers to Semi-Finals:

1. Vsevolod Zanko, Moscow City, 1:00.71
2. Grigorli Falko, Moscow City, 1:00.81
3. Ilya Khomenko, Rostov Region, 1:00.86
4. Rustam Gadirov, Omsk Region, 1:00.97
5. Anton Chupkov, Moscow City, 1:01.06
6. Andrei Nikolaev, Kaluga Region, 1:01.07
7. Danila Dolenko, Moscow City, 1:01.26
8. Aleksandr Palatov, Volgograd Region, 1:01.30

Non-Olympic Events:

• In the men’s 50 backstroke, American-trained Grigory Tarasevich swam a lifetime best of 24.80 to qualify into the final ahead of Nikita Ulyanov in 25.10. For Tarasevich, who had a break through season in the American collegiate system (NCAA) in short course, this fast early swim, while not worth anything for the Olympics, is a good sign heading toward the 100 and 200 later in the meet on an otherwise quiet morning in Moscow.
• Anastasia Fesikova swam 28.49 in the women’s 50 backstroke prelim to pace teenager Daria K Ustinova (28.59) into the final.
• In the morning heats of the timed-final women’s 1500, Aleksandra Ignatova of Moscow City was far-and-away the class, swimming a 17:08.11.