Kliment Kolesnikov looked ominous in the heats of the 100 backstroke but there will be no semi-final swims for Evgeny Rylov and Michele Lamberti at the European Short-Course Championships in Kazan, Russia.
Kolesnikov was the only man inside 50secs but double Olympic champion Rylov and Lamberti, who became a world record-holder on Wednesday, missed out under the two-per-nation rule.
History was made in the final event of the session when the inaugural women’s 1500 free was held and Anastasia Kirpichnikova destroyed the field to post the fourth-fastest time in history in a Russian record of 15:26.08.
Simona Quadarella, the European long-course champion, was more than 23 seconds adrift in second.
Swimmers who safely negotiated the heats include Sarah Sjostrom, Barbora Seemanova, Evgeniia Chikunova, Kristof Milak and Kira Toussaint.
Kolesnikov On Song But Rylov And Lamberti Miss Out
Evgeny Rylov: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
Kolesnikov won the 50 back on Wednesday and went second all-time in the process behind only world record-holder Florent Manaudou.
The double Olympic medallist went in the final heat of the 100 and was in a world of his own, turning 0.01 inside European record pace at halfway.
Come 75m and he was more than a body length ahead and was the only man in the entire field to go inside 50secs in 49.26.
Lorenzo Mora was second through in 50.42 but Pavel Samusenko‘s third-placed time of 50.43 meant that Rylov was to miss out under the two-per-nation rule.
Rylov won his heat in 50.55 but as third-swiftest Russian – and fourth overall – there was no going through.
So too Lamberti, who had a memorable 21st birthday as part of the 4×50 medley relay that set a world record en-route to gold while also winning two individual silvers.
However, it was Matteo Rivolta who progressed with Mora in 50.67 after Lamberti went 50.86.
Kirpichnikova Destroys 1500 Field
Kirpichnikova dominated the 800 free in a national record and she completely took the longest race on the programme apart.
Out in 28.42, her splits thereafter were metronomic from 30.51 to 31.20 throughout before a final 50 of 29.87 brought her home in a time that sliced a mighty 15.20secs from her previous Russian record of 15:41.88 set in December 2019.
All-Time
15:18.01: Sarah Kohler, 2019
15:19.71: Mireia Belmonte, 2014
15:22.68: Lauren Boyle, 2014
15:26.08: Anastasia Kirpichnikova, 2021
15:28.33: Lani Pallister, 2020
The 21-year-old lapped Quadarella by the 1100m mark with the Italian next home in 15:49.39 ahead of teammate Martina Caramignoli (15:50.79).
Merve Tuncel – who won the 400-800-1500 treble at the European Junior Championships – was next through in 15:51.44, one place ahead of Turkish teammate Deniz Ortan.
Pasynkhov & Borodin Through In 200IM
Russia has a wealth of talent in this event here in Kazan with three of the top four swimmers after the heats.
However, with the two-per-nation rule it meant that Daniil Pasynkhov – who headed the heats in 1:55.72 – and Ilya Borodin (1:55.82) progressed but Eduard Valiakhmetov missed out despite going 1:55.95 with 0.23 separating the trio.
In among the Russians was Andreas Vazaios who qualified for Thursday’s semis with the second-fastest time in 1:55.77.
Other names of note who progressed were Italian duo Thomas Ceccon and Alberto Razzetti and Hubert Kos, the long-course world junior record holder over 400IM.
Seemanova Heads 100 Free; Toussaint Through
Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
Sjostrom returned the morning after claiming 50m gold to ease through in the 100 free.
Barbora Seemanova, who won European 200 free gold in May, was swiftest in 52.45 ahead of Marrit Steenbergen (52.62) and Sjostrom (52.69).
Kira Toussaint is the 50 back world record-holder and was unbeaten on the World Cup tour.
The Netherlands swimmer won the title at the long-course European Championships in Budapest and she went through in 26.17 with Analia Pigree fastest in 26.17 and Maaike de Waard (26.22) also progressing.
Pavlov Flies To Head Of The Field; Milak Progresses
There were just 15 swimmers in this event and Russia’s Egor Pavlov was by some way the quickest through in 1:51.99.
Russians once again occupied three of the top four places with Petr Zhikharev the other man through in 1:53.76 and Aleksandr Pribytok the man to miss out.
Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland was second fastest in 1:53.39 but his team-mate Jakub Makerski, who won bronze over 100m, missed out in the two-per-nation ruling.
Milak, fourth over 100m, made it into the semis as he gets more short-course racing under his belt.
Chikunova In Clear Water
Evgeniia Chikunova went away on the final 50 in the last of four heats to win in 2:19.26 and head the field into tonight’s semi-finals by more than two seconds.
Defending champion and Russia teammate Maria Temnikova was next through in 2:21.31.
Francesca Fangio, of Italy, was third in 2:21.67 with her fellow Italian and 100br champion Martina Carraro safely through.
Viktoria Gunes, who became Turkey’s first European short-course champion in the 400IM on the opening day, squeezed through.