FINA World Junior Swimming Championships (Andrei Minakov, Lani Pallister)
Budapest 2019
Day Six Finals (Swimmers of the Meet)
The 2019 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships came to a close on Sunday night in Budapest, Hungary as Russia’s Andrei Minakov and Australia’s Lani Pallister were named as swimmers of the championships by FINA. Minakov won three gold medals and four silver medals as the 17-year-old won golds in the 100 fly and 100 free, and also swam butterfly on Russia’s 4×100 medley relay. Pallister won three gold medals and three silvers as she won all three distance races from 400 to 1500.
Andrei Minakov, Russia
Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019
Russia’s Minakov did not break any world junior records individually but did win the most medals of any male swimmer in the meet. His highlight of the week was when he swam the butterfly leg on Russia’s world junior record setting 4×100 medley relay to close out the meet on Sunday night. That relay gold spoiled the US’ attempt at sweeping all eight relays on the program as the Russians were able to win gold there after winning the silver in five of the relays. Minakov won individual golds in the 100 fly and 100 free and also won silver in the 50 fly. He was on three of Russia’s silver medal winning relay teams.
- Gold – 100 Fly
- Gold – 100 Free
- Gold – 4×100 Medley Relay (World Junior Record)
- Silver – 4×100 free relay
- Silver – 50 Fly
- Silver – Mixed 4×100 Free Relay
- Silver – Mixed 4×100 Medley Relay
Lani Pallister, Australia
Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019
Pallister made waves this week in Budapest when she won all three distance free races, claiming golds in the 400, 800 and 1500 free finals as the 17-year-old put herself in the top ten in the world in the 800. Her mother is 1988 Olympian Janelle Elford, and Pallister successfully passed her on the all-time list in the 800 to officially pass her in all three distance races. If she is to make the Olympic team next year, she and her mother could be the first mother-daughter duo to swim in the Olympics for Australia.
She also swam on both of Australia’s silver medal winning free relays and won a silver medal in the individual 200 free.
- Gold – 400 Free
- Gold – 800 Free
- Gold – 1500 Free
- Silver – 200 Free
- Silver – 4×100 Free
- Silver – 4×200 Free
