2021 POLISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- April 28 – May 2, 2021
- Lublin, Poland
- Long Course Meters (LCM)
- Olympic Qualification Meet
- Meet Website
- Live Results
- Day 1 Prelims | Day 1 Finals
- Day 2 Prelims | Day 2 Finals
Racing continued at the 2021 Polish Swimming Championships on day 3 with the men’s and women’s 400 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and 50 butterfly. The event serves as both Poland’s national championship meet for 2021, as well as the final selection meet for their Tokyo 2020 Olympic squad.
In the men’s 400 freestyle, Wojciech Wojdak touched first with a 3:57.34 to claim top seed in the 400 freestyle and will look to defend his Polish title from 2019 during the finals. Two years ago he won the event with a 3:47.89. Wojdak was a bit off the FINA A standard of 3:46.78 which sits just above his PB in the event of 3:46.67 from 2015. He was followed in the prelims of the 400 freestyle podium by Antoni Kałużyński with a 3:58.28 and Kacper Dereń who was a 3:58.37.
In the women’s 400 freestyle in was Aleksandra Polańska posted a 4:22.99 to earn top seed over Klaudia Tarasiewicz‘s 4:23.15. That swim for Polańska was a little bit slower than her own season-best of 4:15.55 which she set earlier this year. Like Wojdak, Polańska’s will have a shot at repeating a win in the event title from 2019 when she became Polish champ with a 4:15.17. Aleksandra Knop rounded of the top 3 in the prelims with a 4:23.73.
Laura Bernat swam the quickest 200 backstroke during prelims, hitting a 2:13.77 which trails the 2:09.81 she posted earlier in the year. That 2:09 for Bernat will likely be enough to get her a spot on the Polish Olympic squad considered that it’s quicker than the FINA A standard of 2:10.39. Bernat will be joined in the final by Wiktoria Palicka (2:16.46), Adela Piskorska (2:16.77), and 2019 champion Zuzanna Herasimowicz (2:16.93).
It was Jakub Skierka‘s 2:00.31 who had the quickest 200 backstroke for the men as he neared the 2-minute mark and just out-swam Radoslaw Kawęcki‘s 2:00.67. The 2 will go head-to-head tonight during the final as Kawęcki tries to defend his 2019 title and Skierka looks to pick up his first national title. While racing each other, they will also be gunning for the FINA A standard of 1:57.50 to earn Olympic consideration. Mikołaj Malec will head into the finals as third seed with a 2:01.33.
The third event of the day will be the 50 butterfly in which Konrad Czerniak and Anna Dowgiert posted the fastest morning swims of 23.31 on the men’s side and 26.53 on the women’s side. That same duo took gold in the event back in 2019 as Czerniak took gold with a 23.57 and Dowgiert a 26.55.