Nikolett Padar Wins Double Gold Among Hungary Treble At European Juniors
Nikolett Padar made two trips to the top of the podium as Hungary won three golds on day two of finals at the European Juniors in Belgrade.
With victory, Padar claimed the title for the third successive edition, a feat matched later in the session by Merve Tuncel who retained her 1500 crown after golds in 2021 and 2022.
Petar Mitsin continued his record-breaking form when he lowered his Bulgarian 200 free standard once more to 1:46.50.
Padar defended the girls’ 200 free title, leading home a Hungarian one-two with Lilla Minna Abraham.
She led throughout to take gold in 1:57.59 with Abraham holding off the attack of Fleur Verdonck to take silver in 1:59.29, 0.01 ahead of the Belgian who’d been 0.35 adrift at the final turn.
It was a second medal in as many days for Padar who swam the lead-off for the Hungarian girls’ 4×100 free quartet that won silver on Tuesday.
She then followed it up by anchoring the Hungarian mixed 4×100 free quartet in 54.52 as they took the title in 3:29.75 ahead of Italy (3:30.66) – who made it two golds and a silver from the three relays so far in the Serbian capital – and France (3:30.85).
Lora Komoróczy continued Hungary’s procession to the top of the podium when she upgraded 50 back silver at last year’s championships to gold in 28.08.
It was the third-fastest time by a Hungarian woman behind Katinka Hosszu‘s 27.99 and 28.07.
Blythe Kinsman of Britain won silver in 28.41 with Romania’s Daria Silisteanu taking third in 28.46.
Hungary’s success on day two follows Vivien Jackl‘s victory in the 400IM in the opening final of the European Juniors on Tuesday.
Mitsin Continues Record-Breaking Form; Camozzi Claims Third Italian Gold
Mitsin set a new record of 1:47.41 in the opening-day prelims to lower his previous mark before going 1:49.18 in semis to book lane five alongside Alessandro Ragaini.
Petar Mitsin: Photo Courtesy: Bulgarian Swimming Federation
Come Wednesday evening and the 17-year-old was third at the first turn before a 27.12 second 50 propelled him into a 0.18 lead over Corentin Pouillart.
He was 0.72 in front of Ragaini at the final turn before putting more distance between himself and the Italian with a 26.72 last lap.
Mitsin finished 1.26 ahead of Ragaini who clocked 1:47.76 with Jarno Baeschnitt of Germany coming from seventh at 150 to take third in 1:49.10.
That time elevated the Bulgarian into the world top 40 this year.
Splits: 25.20/52.32/1:19.78/1:46.50
Andrea Camozzi claimed Italy’s third gold of the meet so far with victory in the 200 fly, leading throughout to win in 1:58.59.
Vlad-Stefan Mihalache of Romania was second in 1:58.84 with Slovakia’s Samuel Kosta third in 1:59.30.
Merve Tuncel defended her 1500 free title after leading for all but the first 100m.
The Turkish swimmer touched in 16:18.53 ahead of British 14-year-old Amelie Blocksidge who went 16:20.19 for the second-best time of her career.
Marian Ploeger of Germany was third in 16:23.69.
Jefimova, Knedla And Gaur All Win
Eneli Jefimova: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Miroslav Knedla of the Czech Republic won the boys’ event in 24.88 ahead of Ukraine’s Oleksandr Zheltyakov (25.10) and Britain’s Matthew Ward (25.16).
Eneli Jefimova – who swept the breaststroke events at the 2022 European Juniors – defended the 50 in 30.33, 0.13 outside her season’s best of 33.20 at the Estonian nationals.
Karolina Piechowicz of Poland won silver in 31.18 following bronze last year with Sweden’s Olivia Klint Ipsa completing the podium in 31.23.
Jonas Gaur of Denmark enjoyed a comprehensive win in the boys’ event, the only swimmer inside 28secs in 27.57, ahead of Serbia’s Uros Zivanovic (28.08) – third in 2022 – and Emilian Hollank of Germany (28.14).
European Juniors; Day Two Semi-Finals
Sara Curtis, who led off the Italian quartet that won 4×100 free gold on Tuesday evening, heads the 50 free into the final in 25.22.
There were two Britons in the top four with Skye Carter second in 25.37 and Eva Okaro fourth (25.46), sandwiching defending champion Nina Jazy who clocked 25.42.
Lana Pudar – last year’s silver medallist before going on to win bronze at the Europeans in Rome – was over a second clear of Martine Damborg in the 100 fly, the Bosnian clocking 58.26 to the Dane’s 59.33.
Julia Ullman, who took bronze in Otopeni, was next through in 59.63.
Knedla and Ward returned after the 50 back to fill the top two slots in the boys’ 200IM in 2:00.57 and 2:02.08 respectively with Christian Mantegazza third through in 2:02.18.