Budapest 2024, Day 2 Finals: Miron Lifintsev Edges Hubert Kos To Take 100 Back Title In WJR
Miron Lifintsev edged Hubert Kos by 0.03 to claim the 100 back title in a WJR of 48.76 at the short-course worlds in Budapest.
Kos excelled through the rounds and went within 0.7 of the WR in the semis in 49.03 which was also 0.45 off Kliment Kolesnikov’s European record of 48.58, set in 2020 at the very same Duna Arena during the ISL.
The Hungarian led by 0.10 going into the final turn only for Lifintsev to post a 12.67 final 25 and come past Kos for victory in 48.76 to 48.79.
With that, the 18-year-old neutral athlete went 0.14 inside fellow Russian Kolesnikov’s WJR of 48.90 that had stood since December 2017.
Kacper Stokowski of Poland claimed bronze in 49.16.
World Aquatics rules forbid neutral athletes to come through the mixed zone where media congregate and which athletes pass through following the race. It’s also forbidden for them to talk to reporters.
Lifintsev is also the WJR in the long-course pool. He went 52.34 at the Russian Championships in April before lowering that time to 52.08 at the Russian Cup in July although that time hasn’t been ratified.
Kos, the Olympic 200 back champion, said: “It was good. I talked about it yesterday saying I wanted to go out a bit faster. I was able to do that so I’m happy with it. I died a little bit at the end but I’m happy with the whole thing overall,. I just wanted to get a good time and I did.
“I knew I had to swim my own race and I was able to do that so I’m happy with it and a silver medal’s still a silver medal so we’ll take it.”
The Duna Arena gave Kos a rousing reception, the 21-year-old the latest in a long line of Hungarian backstrokers who’ve made an indelible mark on swimming.
Hungarian Swimming Federation president Sandor Wladar won the 200 back at Moscow 1980 ahead of Zoltán Verrasztó, father of David and Evelyn Verraszto. Tamas Darnyi claimed European junior medals in the 200 back before focusing on IM as did Laszlo Cseh who was looking on in Budapest.
With a nod to those who’ve gone before, Kos said: “I guess it is a responsibility but I don’t feel it like that because it’s like an honour to be able to swim in front of the Hungarian crowd, the Hungarian audience. Every time I have the opportunity to do that, I just want to do it.”
Stokowski added: “Last night was a great night for Poland, bronze in the relay, tonight a bronze for me. I mean, it is day two and we already have two medals, I am excited for the rest.”
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