2021 LEN EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Tuesday, November 2nd – Sunday, November 7th
- Aquatics Palace, Kazan Russia
- SCM (25m)
- Entries
- Results
Russian freestyler Anastasia Kirpichnikova has been on an absolute tear over the first few days of the 2021 European Short Course Championships, and she continued her dominant display during Day 3 prelims in Kazan by smashing her National Record in the women’s 1500 freestyle.
Kirpichnikova made it look easy in the heats, soaring to a time of 15:26.08 to absolutely annihilate her previous Russian Record of 15:41.88 set in December 2019.
The time also marks a new Championship Record as this is the first time the women’s 1500 free is being contested at the event.
That performance led the 21-year-old to the top seed for Friday’s final by more than 23 seconds, with Italian Simona Quadarella, the current long course world champion in the event, sitting second in 15:49.39.
Kirpichnikova’s swim registers as the fourth-fastest in history, and she also moves up from 14th into fourth among all-time performers in the event.
All-Time Performances, Women’s 1500 Freestyle (SCM)
- Sarah Kohler (GER), 15:18.01 – 2019
- Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 15:19.71 – 2014
- Lauren Boyle (NZL), 15:22.68 – 2014
- Anastasia Kirpichnikova (RUS), 15:26.08 – 2021
- Mireia Belmonte (ESP), 15:26.95 – 2013
- Lani Pallister (AUS), 15:28.33 – 2020
- Lotte Friis (DEN), 15:28.65 – 2009
- Simona Quadarella (ITA), 15:29.74 – 2021
- Maddy Gough (AUS), 15:31.19 – 2020
- Kate Ziegler (USA), 15:32.90 – 2007
At the beginning of the meet, Kirpichnikova reset her 800 free Russian Record in both the prelims (8:08.44) and final (8:04.65) en route to winning gold and becoming the seventh-fastest swimmer in history.
Kirpichnikova’s opening 800 split (8:12.88) from the 1500 free heats would’ve won her the bronze medal in the 800 final on Wednesday:
Kirpichnikova now appears well on her way to becoming the first-ever European SC champion in the women’s 1500 free, and given her form, it would also be hard not to assert her as the odds-on favorite in the 400 free, which will take place on Sunday.