Vladislav Bukhov set a new junior world record of 23.14 in the 50m butterfly and Sarah Sjostrom scorched to victory in the women’s race as the 22nd edition of the Euro Meet got under way on Friday in Luxembourg.
There were also meet records for Mykhaylo Romanchuk and Thomas Ceccon in the 1500m freestyle and 100m backstroke respectively at the National Aquatic Center d’Coque.
Bukhov sliced 0.08secs from the previous WJR set by Michael Andrew at the World Junior Championships in August 2017 en-route to second behind world-record holder and fellow Ukrainian Andriy Govorov who touched in 23.07. Florent Manaudou was third in 23.56.
Bukhov won 50m free gold at last year’s World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary, which followed his double bronze in the splash and dash and 100 free at the European juniors in July.
He said:
“It’s my second time here in Luxembourg and I really like this meeting with its fast pool.”
Sjostrom won the one-length fly in 25.12, an eye-opening time at this stage of the Olympic year and just 0.10secs outside her gold medal-winning performance at last year’s World Championships.
Romanchuk lowered his own mark that had stood since 2017 by 1.80secs to 14:53.38 while Ceccon took 0.03secs off Robert Glinta’s record as he touched in 53.80 at the National Aquatic Centre d’Coque.
Mykhailo Romanchuk; Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
Romanchuk was second at the worlds in Gwangju, South Korea last year behind Florian Wellbrock of Germany and ahead of Olympic champion Gregorio Paltrinieri, replicating his silver medal from the Budapest edition two years prior.
Dan Jervis – who admitted he “buckled under the pressure” in Gwangju – was at the head of the field in the early stages after going out in 56.48 but the Ukrainian – who had warmed up with seventh in the 400IM – moved ahead by the 600m mark.
His splits were metronomic – out in 58.15 with 12x100s at 59 – extending his lead all the way to come home in 58.11 with Jervis second in 14:57.90 with clear daylight to Jan Micka in 15:21.00.
Thomas Ceccon. Photo Courtesy: FINA / Budapest 2019
Out in 26.29 and back in 27.51, Ceccon – who turns 19 on Monday – dominated the 100 backstroke.
Ceccon won double gold in the 50 and 100 back at last year’s European juniors in Kazan, Russia, as well as silver in the 4x100m free and 4x100m medley relay.
Ceccon seems unruffled to be mixing it with the big boys and made it to the semis in Gwangju.
Yohann N’doye Brouard was second in 54.26 with Swim England’s Brodie Williams next home in 55.07.
Hosszu Dominant As Defence Of Olympic Medley Crowns Nears
Katinka Hosszu – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
Katinka Hosszu enjoyed a commanding victory in the 400IM, getting to the wall in 4:36.02, 9.15secs ahead of second-placed Hannah Miley.
The triple Olympic champion led from the outset and was 1.77secs up on Ilaria Cusinato after 100m, a lead she extended to 4.41secs over fellow Hungarian Eszter Szabo-Feltothy on backstroke with Miley 7.41secs adrift.
The Briton, who was fourth in Rio de Janeiro when Hosszu claimed her first Olympic title, ate a little into the deficit over breaststroke but Hozzu came home in 31.79 – the fastest split in the field – for a comfortable victory.
Miley – who is aiming for her fourth Olympic Games at Tokyo 2020 – was second in 4:45.17 with her fellow Briton and world junior bronze medallist Michaella Glenister third in 4:46.28 after unleashing the fastest final 100 of 1:03.95.
World championship finalist Arjan Knipping won the men’s equivalent, leading from start to finish to touch in 4:21.75.
Hosszu’s fellow Team Iron swimmer Ayrton Sweeney – fourth at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia – touched second in 4:23.63 with Jacob Greenow, of the Swim England performance squad, third in 4:27.04.
Giulia Salin; Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / deepbluemedia
European junior champion Giulia Salin overhauled fellow Italian Giorgia Romei on the final 100m to win the 800 free.
Salin, who also won world junior bronze in 2019, was 0.45secs adrift at the penultimate turn but a final 100m of 1:02.06 – the fastest in the field – brought her home in 8:36.85 ahead of Romei (8:37.45) and Leah Crisp (8:50.79).
Aurelie Muller, who is aiming to compete in the pool in Tokyo after missing a spot with the French team in the open water, was fourth in 8:52.12.
Hungarian Liliana Szilagyi won the women’s 200 fly in 2:09.52 with Belgium’s Louis Croenen taking the men’s equivalent in 1:57.33 while Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina won the women’s 100 back in 1:01.26.