World Junior Championships: Flynn Southam & Eneli Jefimova Head Prelims In Search Of Second Titles
Flynn Southam and Eneli Jefimova led their respective 50 free and 100m breaststroke prelims on day three of the World Junior Championships.
Southam has already claimed the 200 free as well as silver with the Australian men’s 4×100 free with Jefimova the winner of the 100m breaststroke.
All the action from the third day of competition in Netanya, Israel:
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Mizuki Hirai led the way into the semis in 26.32 with last year’s bronze medallist Lillian Slusna also through in 26.83.
Pudar returned after 200 gold to qualify sixth in 26.87.
Men’s 50m Backstroke
Miroslav Knedla headed the field in 25.12 as he looks to repeat his victory at the European Juniors in Belgrade in July.
Behind him by just 0.01 was Oleksandr Zheltyakov, the Ukrainian having already won the 100 back.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke
Eneli Jefimova headed the prelims in 1:07.37 although it’s not a championship record as stated on the results.
Rather, Ruta Meilutyte‘s time of 1:06.61 from the 2013 World Junior Championships is still the standard bearer.
Ewa Wrona and Liu Ziyi contested a swim-off after both posted 1:10.51 for joint 17th, the Polish woman prevailing in 1:09.59 to 1:09.92.
Men’s 50m Freestyle
Flynn Southam headed the field in 22.48 as he seeks to add to the 200 free title he’s already claimed.
Nikoli Blackman, fresh from the Commonwealth Youth Games, was second through in 22.50 with the USA’s Diggory Dillingham next in 22.52.
Women’s 200m Backstroke
Jojo Ramey led a US one-two into the semis in 2:12.20 ahead of Teagan O’Dell (2:12.36), who finished fourth in the 100 after coming in as top seed.
Wang Xinyi of China and Denmark’s Kristine Norby both clocked 2:14.16 to finish joint eighth but a decision was taken that both would swim the final rather than there be a swimoff.
Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay
The Australian quartet booked lane four in 3:29.20 ahead of the USA (3:31.26) and Italy (3:31.44).
Italy were third at last year’s World Junior Championships in Peru in an all-European podium.
Men’s 800m Freestyle (Slowest Heats)
Ryo Nakamitsu was the only man inside 8mins in 7:59.13, the Japanese swimmer 5.59secs ahead of next fastest finisher Timothe Barbeau who clocked 8:04.72.
