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Kliment Kolesnikov set a national 100 freestyle record of 47.31 as he added another race to his Tokyo programme with junior world record-holder Andrei Minakov claiming the second slot at the Russian Championships in Kazan.
To put Kolesnikov’s performance into some kind of context, it would have been enough to claim the gold medal at every single Olympics bar Beijing 2008 where Alain Bernard clocked 47.21 at the advent of the supersuit era.
It elevates him to fifth all-time in textile and 10th all-suits and to within 0.18secs of Bernard’s European record of 47.12 set at the 2009 worlds at the peak of the suits chaos.
That means though there is no individual berth for 2019 world bronze medallist and former Russian record holder Vladislav Grinev nor Vlad Morozov, the London 2012 4×100 relay bronze medallist, who were third and fourth respectively.
World record-holder Anton Chupkov booked his place in the 200br and Alexander Egorov made it in the 800 free.
Kolesnikov has been nothing short of sensational this week in Kazan.
He matched then lowered Evgeny Rylov‘s official 100 back national record before the 2019 world silver medallist reclaimed it in 52.12 – 0.01 off Camille Lacourt’s European mark – with Kolesnikov clocking 52.24.
Kliment Kolesnikov; Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala
That followed the 50 back where the 20-year-old was just 0.08 off his own world record of 24.00secs.
On Tuesday he dipped inside 48secs for the first time in the 100 free heats in 47.70 (22.97/24.73) before lowering that by 0.10secs in the semi in 47.60 to go fourth Russian all-time behind only Grinev (47.43), Minakov (47.57) and Andrei Grechin who went 47.59 during the super-suited times of 2009.
Come the final and the three-time world medallist laid all that to waste.
Out in 22.55 and back in 24.76, the 20-year-old took 0.13 off Grinev’s Russian record from 2019 and left clear daylight between himself and the rest of the field.
Minakov was second in 47.77 (22.79/24.98) with Grinev’s first 50 of 23.08 presenting him with a huge task and despite a second 50 of 24.81, he could not make up the deficit to stop the clock at 47.89.
Morozov was next home in 48.18 followed by Alexander Shscegolev (48.24) and Ivan Giryov (48.34) with the first six men all within the cut.
It indicates a fearsome 4×100 relay come Tokyo although one that would not see the Russian flag or – should the quartet emerge victorious – be accompanied by the national anthem because of the sanctions imposed by WADA following the manipulation of data.
Chupkov Leads The Way In The 200br
Anton Chupkov; Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Chupkov came from third at halfway to win the 200br in 2:08.31 and book his spot in the four-length event, five years after claiming bronze at Rio 2016.
The world champion was out in 30.13 before reaching the 100m mark in 1:03.10 (32.97) and, rather than his customary pacing where he unleashes an almighty final-50 blast, Chupkov was ahead by 150 in 1:35.81 (32.71) before coming home in 32.50.
Olympic champion Dmitriy Balandin – representing Kazakhstan – was next home in 2:08.85 with Kirill Prigoda the second Russian to touch in 2:09.77.
Egorov dominated the men’s 800 free to win in 7:48.25 to book his spot in the event which will make its debut on the men’s Olympic programme come Tokyo.
Russian record-holder Svetlana Chimrova led throughout to win the 200 fly in 2:08.98 although that was outside the cut of 2:08.45.
Alexandra Sabitova was second in 2:10.37 although that was some way outside the national junior record of 2:09.67 she swam on Tuesday.
Rylov And Chikunova Impress In Semi-Finals
Evgeny Rylov – who wrested his 100 back record from Kolesnikov earlier in the meet – heads the 200 field in 1:55.34.
Eugenia Chikunova – the 16-year-old who has already booked a ticket to Tokyo in the 100br – led the way in the 200br in 2:23.00.
Maria Kameneva went 53.88 in the 100 free with Andrei Zhilkin heading the 200IM in 1:58.92.
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Are the freestylers eligible to compete in the relay?