Russia Selects 16 For European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku

Russia has announced a team of 16 swimmers–7 men and 9 women–for the upcoming 2019 European Youth Olympic Festival in Baku, Azerbaijan, which will take place July 21-27. Swimming is one of ten sports that will be contested at the international multi-sport competition, which anticipates participation from 50 international delegations.

Leading the Russian men’s squad is Andrei Chulkov, who in May won 8 medals, including 6 golds, at the 2019 Russian Youth Swimming Championships. 2018 World Junior Open Water 5k silver medalist Ivan Morgun is also on the roster, and will probably race the 800 or 1500 in Baku. Ilya Borodin, who put up an impressive 4:22.35 in the 400 IM at the Russian Youth Swimming Championships in May, will also represent in Azerbaijan.

14-year-old phenom Evgenia Chikunova leads the women’s roster, and will take on a packed schedule of international competitions this summer. After pulling off a huge upset by beating World Champion Yulia Efimova at the 2019 Russian Championships with a time of 2:22.67, Chikunova will also race at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, in August, as well as the European Junior Championships July 3-7 in Kazan, Russia.

Sprint freestyle star Darya Trofimova also highlights the women’s roster, following huge accomplishments at the Russian Youth Championships where she set a new competition record in the 100 freestyle in 56.12. Anastasia Sorokina, who in 2018 broke the 34-year-old Russian Youth Record in the 200 IM, will also race in Azerbaijan.

At the last edition in Gyor, hungary in 2017, Russia led all countries with 15 gold medals – including a clean sweep of the relays.

Men

1. Dmitry Askhabov (St. Petersburg)
2. Ivan Morgun (Volgograd region)
3. Vadim Klymenishchev (Lipetsk region)
4. Ilya Borodin (Bryansk region)
5. Alexey Tkachev (St. Petersburg)
6. Ilya Shilkin (Altai Territory)
7. Andrei Chulkov (Moscow)

Women

1. Evgenia Chikunova (St. Petersburg)
2. Alexandra Kurilkina (St. Petersburg)
3. Daria Klepikova (Voronezh region)
4. Alexandra Sabitova (Kemerovo Region)
5. Anastasia Markova (Vologda region)
6. Varulnikova Marulita (Moscow)
7. Anastasia Sorokina (Murmansk region)
8. Darya Trofimova (Novosibirsk region)
9. Renata Gainullina (Republic of Tatarstan)