World Junior Championships, Day One Prelims: Shin Ohashi, Filip Nowacki Go 59s to Lead 100 Breaststroke
The final major international competition of the summer is underway, with the World Junior Championships holding its first session of preliminaries on Tuesday morning in Otopeni, Romania. The six-day meet will run through Sunday and feature rising stars in the sport, including Japan’s Shin Ohashi and Yumeki Kojima. Ohashi owns the world junior record in the 100-meter breaststroke and 200 breaststroke while Kojima holds the world junior record in the 400 individual medley.
Here is what unfolded during Tuesday’s prelims, which featured action in the men’s 400 freestyle, women’s 50 breaststroke, men’s 100 backstroke, women’s 400 individual medley, men’s 100 breaststroke, women’s 100 backstroke, men’s 400 freestyle relay and women’s 800 freestyle relay.
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Men’s 400 Freestyle
Only two athletes went sub-3:50 for the morning, Russia’s Egor Babinich and American Aiden Hammer, as they recorded swims of 3:49.72 and 3:49.74, respectively. Checking in third was Japan’s Kazushi Imafuku, who went 3:50.13. Also advancing to the final were Turkey’s Kuzey Tuncelli (3:50.77) and Germany’s Johannes Liebmann (3:51.43), who entered the meet among the favorites.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Russia’s Ralina Giliazova managed the only time under 31 seconds for the morning session, as she touched the wall in 30.89. She was followed by Lithuania’s Smilte Plytnykaite, we went 31.11. Plytnykaite will try to give Lithuania a world-title sweep, as Ruta Meilutyte recently won the 50 breaststroke at the World Champs in Singapore.
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Top contender Henry Allan of Australia took his first step toward the title by earning the top seed in 54.15. That was slightly quicker than the 54.18 of American Gavin Keogh. Allan has sparked high hopes Down Under and has been as fast as 53.73 entering the competition.
Women’s 400 Individual Medley
Agostina Hein of Argentina paced qualifying in the women’s 400 IM, thanks to a swim of 4:37.87. That time was nearly two seconds clear of American Audrey Derivaux, who registered a personal best of 4:39.86 for the No. 2 seed. Derivaux is set to contest five individual events this week.
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
The two-man duel expected between Japan’s Shin Ohashi and Great Britain’s Filip Nowacki started to take shape in prelims, with Ohashi and Nowacki the only athletes to break one minute. Ohashi moved through his heat in 59.64 while Nowacki emerged on top of his prelim in 59.84.
Women’s 100 Backstroke
Top-seeded Charlotte Crush of the United States backed up her entry time by putting together.a prelims swim of 59.82, the only sub-1:00 outing of the morning. Kim Seungwon of Korea earned the second seed for the semifinals, going 1:00.32.
