Ilya Borodin was in record-breaking form at the Russian Swimming Championship where his time of 4:11.17 in the 400IM was both a world junior and national mark.
Kliment Kolesnikov was 0.08 off his 50 back world record in 24.08, Martin Malyutin went 3:45.92 in the 400 free with a final 50 of 26.66 and Anastasiia Sorokina lowered the Russian junior 400IM record which had stood for 37 years.
Borodin – who turned 18 in February – already held the world junior record with a time of 4:11.50 from last year’s Russian Championships which were also held in Kazan in October.
On Saturday he served notice in the morning prelims with a time of 4:15.00 before returning in the evening where his time propelled him to the top of the rankings.
Splits: 57.68/2:02.06/3:03.06/4:11.17
Maxim Stupin was second in 4:14.20 with both men inside the FINA A cut for Tokyo.
In the women’s race, the Russian junior record of 4:43.78 that had stood since 1984 was finally lowered by Sorokina.
Kliment Kolesnikov: Photo Courtesy: Mike Lewis/ISL
Yelena Dendeberova had set the previous mark more than 20 years before Sorokina was born and four years later would take 200IM silver at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
Sorokina finally toppled the record with a time of 4:43.44 albeit outside the Olympic cut.
The meet is the only opportunity for swimmers to put their names forward to potentially represent a Russian ‘team’ – despite the ban handed down by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The initial four-year suspension awarded to Russian Anti-Doping (RUSADA) following the manipulation of data was halved to two years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in December.
Individual athletes have the opportunity to prove themselves innocent making them eligible to compete under a neutral flag as was the case at Rio 2016.
Malyutin Blasts Final 100; Grinev Drops 47.60 In 4×100 Free
Stand-off: Britain’s Duncan Scott, right, refuses to pose with Sun Yang, flanked by Katsuhiro Matsumoto, left, and Martin Malyutin, after the 200m free medals ceremony – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
Malyutin – who was joint bronze medal-winner with Duncan Scott at the 2019 World Championships – came from almost two seconds adrift at the 300m mark to claim victory with a final 100 of 54.65 (27.79/26.66).
Splits: 55.99/1:54.18/2:51.47/3:45.92
That was inside the cut for Tokyo as was the 3:46.17 of Alexander Egorov.
Kolesnikov returned after rattling his 50 back world record to anchor a Moscow 4×100 free quartet to victory in 3:14.62 which featured a 47.60 leg by Vladislav Grinev.
Yulia Efimova won the 50br in 30.59 with Anastasia Fesikova taking the 50 back in 28.00.
In the semis, Kirill Prigoda leads the men’s 100br in 59.43 with Arina Surkova already within the women’s 100 fly cut in 57.76.
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