World University Games: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES/SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – SWIMMING

• July 4th-9th, 2019
• Napoli, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• Live Stream: Olympic Channel (in US), Rai Sport (in Italy)
• Entry Lists & Live Results

The 5th night of the World University Games will feature 9 events, including finals of the men’s 800 freestyle, women’s 200 breaststroke, men’s 100 freestyle, and the women’s 100 butterfly.

Team USA’s Emily Escobedo scared the meet record in the women’s 200 breaststroke in yesterday’s prelims, but will have to contend with Japan’s Kanako Watanabe and South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker in the finals tonight. Another South African, Tayla Lovemore, takes the top seed in the women’s 100 fly. Earlier in the competition, Lovemore won the women’s 50 fly, setting a new South African Record in the process.

In this morning’s prelims, South Africa’s Michael Houlie set a new competition record in the 50 breaststroke with a 26.98 to take the top seed in tonight’s semi-finals. Team USA’s Coleman Stewart neared the 51-second barrier with a 52.39 to take the 2nd seed in the semis of the men’s 100 fly, which is led by Russia’s Aleksandr Sadovnikov. Team USA’s Paige Madden and Gabby DeLoof both comfortably qualified for the semis of the women’s 200 freestyle.

MEN’s 800 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record – 7:32.12, Zang Lin (CHN), 2009
• Meet Record – 7:45.76, Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), 2017

1. Anton Nikitin (RUS), 7:56.65
2. Nick Norman (USA), 7:57.95
3. Filip Zaborowski (POL), 7:58.27

The men’s 800 freestyle was a closer race than might be expected for the distance. The top five swimmers in the final broke the 8-minute barrier, but Russia’s Anton Nikitin got his hand on the wall first in 7:56.65. Team USA’s Nick Norman got in for silver, just ahead of three tightly-grouped swimmers, touching in 7:57.95. Poland’s Filip Zaborowski got the bronze medal, just .02 ahead of Italy’s Matteo Lamberti, who in turn only out-touched the 5th-place finisher from Spain, Albert Manosa, by 3/10ths.

Team USA could feasibly have gotten two swimmers on the podium, if Robert Finke had not withdrawn from the competition.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 1:52.98, Federica Pellegrini (ITA), 2009
• Meet Record – 1:56.71, Siobahn Haughey (HK), 2017

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Gabby DeLoof (USA), 1:58.46
2. Paige Madden (USA), 1:59.01
3. Mariia Baklakova (RUS), 1:59.22
4. Linda Caponi (ITA), 1:59.42
5. Kathryn Greenslade (GBR), 1:59.88
6. Irina Krivonogova (RUS), 2:00.14
7. Kennedy Goss (CAN), 2:00.49
8. Alice Scarabelli (ITA), 2:00.84

Team USA’s Gabby DeLoof and Paige Madden take the top 2 seeds going into tomorrow’s final in the women’s 200 freestyle. DeLoof has been swimming very well this week, and together, DeLoof and Madden helped lead Team USA to victory in the women’s 800 freestyle relay, which they won by nearly 6 seconds over the Italians.

The Italians, meanwhile, will be represented in the finals by Linda Caponi and Alice Scarabelli.

Russia will have a strong presence in the finals of the 200 tomorrow though, as Mariia Baklakova and Irina Krivonogova qualified 3rd and 6th, respectively.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 49.82, Michael Phelps (USA), 2009
• Meet Record – 50.85, Jason Dunford (KEN), 2009

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Jack Saunderson (USA), 52.12
2. Iago Moussalem (BRA), 52.13
3. Aleksandr Sadovnikov (RUS), 52.19
4. Yuya Tanaka (JPN), 52.26
5. Shinnosuke Ishikawa (JPN), 52.33
6. Coleman Stewart (USA), 52.44
7. Michal Poprawa (POL), 52.46
8. Egor Kuimov (RUS), 52.64

A tightly-bunched field will enter the men’s 100 fly final tomorrow, led by USA’s Jack Saunderson and Brazil’s Iago Moussalem. Saunderson was as fast as 51.49 at the 2018 U.S. National Championships, so there will likely be multiple 51s in the field tomorrow.

The top prelims qualifier, Russia’s Aleksandr Sadovnikov, is also right there with a 52.19, followed closely by two from Japan, Yuya Tanaka and Shinnosuke Ishikawa. Coleman Stewart, a backstroke specialist who is only swimming fly at WUGs, takes the 6th seed for Team USA, having been just a tad off his morning time. Michal Poprawa of Polan and Egor Kuimov round out the field.

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record – 2:19.11, Rikke Møller Pedersen (DEN), 2009
• Meet Record – 2:22.32, Rie Kaneto (JPN), 2009

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2:22.92
2. Emily Escobedo (USA), 2:23.65
3. Kanako Watanabe (JPN), 2:24.18

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker continues to impress in Napoli. Tonight, Schoenmaker overcame Team USA’s Emily Escobedo and Japanese heavy-hitter Kanako Watanabe to win gold in a time of 2:22.92. What made the difference was a 36.22 split on the final 50, nearly half-a-second faster than either Escobedo or Watanabe. Schoenmaker also won the women’s 100 breaststroke earlier in the competition. South African teammate Kaylene Corbett finished 4th in 2:24.93, and was nearly even with Schoenmaker at 150, but faded on the final portion of the race.

MEN’S 100 FREESTYLE – FINAL

• World Record – 46.91, Cesar Cielo (BRA), 2009
• Meet Record – 47.62, Vladimir Morozov (RUS), 2013

1. Zach Apple (USA), 48.01
2. Tate Jackson (USA), 48.29
3. Marco Ferreira (BRA), 48.57

Team USA went 1-2 in the men’s 100 freestyle with Zach Apple claiming gold and Tate Jackson claiming silver. Apple touched the wall in 48.01, just off the 47.7 he did leading off the 400 freestyle relay on the first night of competition. As far as individual races are concerned and not counting the relay lead-off, Apple’s time tonight is his fastest performance ever.

Tate Jackson touched the wall just behind Apple in 48.29. The Longhorn sprinter blasted out in a 22.77 to his feet at 50 meters, but closed in a 25.52 to Apple’s 24.76. Jackson’s time is just .09 off his lifetime best from the 2018 National Championships, where he won the consolation final.

Brazilian Marco Ferreira claimed bronze in 48.57, splitting a 23.45/25.12.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 26.98, Liu Xiang (CHN), 2018
• Meet Record – 27.89, Anastasia Zueva (RUS), 2013

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Elise Haan (USA), 28.25
2. Silvia Scalia (ITA), 28.28
3. Katharine Berkoff (USA), 28.41
4. Agata Naskret (POL)/Ingrid Wilm (CAN), 28.48
5. —
6. Calypso McDonnell (AUS), 28.54
7. Nadine Laemmler (GER), 28.68
8. Marieke Tienstra (NED), 28.83

Elise Haan swam the 6th-fastest time of her career to qualify first for the finals of the women’s 50 backstroke tomorrow night. Haan is closely pursued by Italian Silvia Scalia only .03 back. 100 backstroke Games record holder Katharine Berkoff lingers 3rd in 28.41, just ahead of Agata Naskret of Poland and Ingrid Wilm of Canada who tied for the 4th seed in finals.

Calypso McDonnell of Australia will take lane 2 in tomorrow’s final, while the outside lanes will be occupied by Nadine Laemmler of Germany and Marieke Tienstra of the Netherlands.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 1:51.92, Aaron Piersol (USA), 2009
• Meet Record – 1:54.13, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2009

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Austin Katz (USA), 1:55.57
2. Martin Binedell (RSA), 1:57.65
3. Clark Beach (USA), 1:57.68
4. Grigory Tarasevich (RUS), 1:58.11
5. Cameron Tysoe (AUS), 1:58.20
6. Manuel Bacarizo (ESP), 1:58.76
7. Emanuel Turchi (ITA), 1:58.79
8. Mathieu Geoffroy (FRA), 1:58.81

USA’s Austin Katz just snuck under his best time in the semis of the 200 back to take the top seed in tomorrow’s finals in 1:55.57, well ahead of the rest of the pack. Katz emerged as one of America’s top backstrokers in 2018 with third-place finishes at both the 2018 U.S. National Championships and the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.

Though Katz has been the fastest today, he should get a big challenge out of 100 backstroke champion Grigory Tarasevich of Russia and the University of Louisville. Though Katz’s best time is 1.5 seconds ahead of Tarasevich, the Russian has been on the cusp of major international success for several years and could break through with a big swim in finals.

South Africa’s Martin Binedell takes the #2 seed with a 1:57.65, while Team USA’s Clark Beach takes the 3rd seed in 1:57.68. Australia’s Cameron Tysoe shaved nearly a second from his personal best to qualify 5th.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

• World Record — 55.48, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2016
• Meet Record — 57.63, Katerine Savard (CAN), 2013

1. Tayla Lovemore (RSA), 58.74
2. Dakota Luther (USA), 58.82
3. Lisa Hoepink (GER), 58.87

Tayla Lovemore made it two-for-two with sprint butterfly victories, hitting the wall just ahead of USA’s Dakota Luther. Lovemore took the race out faster than anybody else in the field, though not by much: Germany’s Lisa Hoepink was right beside her as they turned in 27.30 and 27.31, respectively. Luther, meanwhile, who is a better 200 butterflyer, turned in 27.68, making her only 6th with 50 meters to go.

Lovemore faded a bit on the 2nd 50, producing a 31.44 over the last 50 meters, while Luther churned away and split a 31.14, nearly catching Lovemore. Hoepink, meanwhile, held off a charge from Japan’s Ai Soma, who touched in 58.89 for 4th.

On Friday, Lovemore broke the South African Record in the 50 fly, winning South Africa’s first swimming medal of the Games in 26.25.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

• World Record – 25.95, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2017
• Meet Record – 26.98, Michael Houlie (RSA), 2019

Top 8 Qualifiers:

1. Michael Houlie (RSA), 26.82*
2. Kirill Prigoda (RUS), 27.28
3. Ian Finnerty (USA), 27.32
4. Pedro Cardona (BRA), 27.33
5. Jaekwoon Moon (KOR), 27.53
6. Connor Hoppe (USA), 27.66
7. Theo Bussiere (FRA), 27.67
8. Craig Benson (GBR), 27.68

South Africa’s Michael Houlie broke the Universiade Record in the 50 breaststroke again in tonight’s semifinals, putting up a blazing fast 26.82 to take the top seed in finals by nearly a full half-second. 100 breaststroke champion and Games Record holder Ian Finnerty qualified 3rd in 27.32, while 100 breaststroke runner-up Kirill Prigoda qualified 2nd in 27.28.