2017 World University Games: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

29TH WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES (SUMMER UNIVERSIADE 2017)

• Sunday, August 20-Sunday, August 20, 2017
• 50-Meter Course
• Taipei, Taiwan
• National Taiwan Sport University Arena
• Meet Info
• Webcast schedule
• Results

Competition at the 2017 World University Games continues with day 2 finals in Taipei. Tonight, we’ll see finals action in the men’s 50 fly, men’s 100 back, women’s 50 fly, men’s 100 breast, and women’s 200 back. Swimmers will also race in the semifinals of the women’s 100 free, women’s 100 breast, men’s 200 IM, and men’s 200 free.

MEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• Meet Record: Jason Dunford (KEN), 23.09, 2009

1. GOLD: Andrii Govorov, UKR, 22.90
2. SILVER: Andrey Zhilkin, RUS, 23.40
3. T-BRONZE: Henrique Martins, BRA, 23.54
4. T-BRONZE: Andrii Khloptsov, UKR, 23.54

The Ukraine’s Andrii Govorov became the first man to break 23 at this meet, winning in Meet Record time with his 22.90 to blow away the field. A tight race to the finish behind him saw Russia’s Andrey Zhilkin (23.40) come up ahead, while the Ukraine got 2 on the podium as Andrii Khloptsov tied Brazil’s Henrique Martins for the bronze in 23.54. Just off the podium was Poland’s Konrad Czerniak with a 23.62 for 5th place.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE – SEMIFINALS

• Meet Record: Aliaksandra Herasimenia (BLR), 53.50, 2013

Top 8:

1. Siobhan Haughey, HKG, 54.53
2. Caroline Baldwin, USA, 54.95
3. Larissa Martins, BRA, 55.05
4. (T-4) Mariia Kameneva, RUS, 55.07
5. (T-4) Veronica Burchill, USA, 55.07
6. Katerine Savard, CAN, 55.27
7. Aglaia Pezzato, ITA, 55.41
8. Arina Openysheva, RUS, 55.42

Hong Kong’s Siobhan Haughey and the USA’s Caroline Baldwin were the only women to break 55 through semis. Haughey has a chance to really run away with this one if she matches her 53.83 from the relay leadoff on day 1. Baldwin could also challenge for the title, however, as she’s had a breakout summer and has been as fast as a 54.57 from yesterday’s relay leadoff.

MEN’S 100 BACK – FINAL

• Meet Record: Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 52.60, 2009

1. GOLD: Justin Ress, USA, 53.29
2. SILVER: Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 54.12
3. BRONZE: Danas Rapsys, LTU, 54.17

Justin Ress was golden for the USA tonight, missing his best time by just .02 to take the gold by nearly a full second. Japan’s Kosuke Hagino and Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys were stroke-for-stroke into the finish, but Hagino (54.12) managed to get his hand to the wall slightly faster for silver ahead of Rapsys (54.17).

Ireland’s Shane Ryan was just shy of the podium with a 54.35 to take 4th, followed closely by Great Britain’s Ben Treffers (54.39). American Taylor Dale, who put up the 2nd fastest time of the meet with his 54.10 in the semifinals last night, wound up 7th today with a 54.53.

WOMEN’S 50 FLY – FINAL

• Meet Record: Lu Ying (CHN), 25.72, 2015

1. GOLD: Aliena Schmidtke, GER, 26.16
2. SILVER: Elena Di Liddo, ITA, 26.50
3. BRONZE: Yukina Hirayama, JPN, 26.51

Germany’s Aliena Schmidtke powered to a 26.16 victory in the 50 fly, while Italy’s Elena Di Liddo (26.50) and Japan’s Yukina Hirayama (26.51) were separated by just a hundredth to round out the medals. Great Britain’s Rachael Kelly was just .02 shy of the podium with a 26.53 for 4th, followed by Poland’s Anna Dowgiert (26.63) and the USA’s Hellen Moffitt (26.69).

Canada’s Katerine Savard took on a double tonight. Shortly after her 100 free performance, she took 7th here in 26.70. Rounding out the top 8 was Team USA’s Katie McLaughlin in 26.91.

MEN’S 100 BREAST – FINAL

• Meet Record: Igor Borysik (UKR), 59.53, 2009

1. T-GOLD: Andrew Wilson, USA, 1:00.15
2. T-GOLD: Ilya Shymanovich, BLR, 1:00.15
3. BRONZE: Dmitriy Balandin, KAZ, 1:00.17

The men’s 100 breast was about as close of a race as it could possibly be between the top 3 men, as we saw a tie for gold and just 2 hundredths separating them from the bronze medalist. Though he wasn’t able to match his 59.69 from prelims, the USA’s Andrew Wilson still walked away with a gold medal here.

Wilson had the front half speed, taking it out in 27.80, but Belarus’ Ilya Shymanovich wasn’t far behind with a 27.97 split. Kazakhstan’s Defending champ Dmitriy Balandin started to make his move on the back half, but ran out of room as Wilson and Shymanovich tied for the gold in 1:00.15 to Balandin’s 1:00.17. Switzerland’s Yannick Kaeser (1:00.35) also put up a 1:00-low to take 4th place.

WOMEN’S 100 BREAST – SEMIFINALS

• Meet Record: Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 1:05.48, 2013

Top 8:

1. Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 1:07.71
2. Tatjana Schoenmaker, RSA, 1:07.77
3. Andee Cottrell, USA, 1:08.16
4. Reona Aoki, JPN, 1:08.19
5. Leiston Pickett, AUS, 1:08.26
6. Miranda Tucker, USA, 1:08.34
7. Mariia Temnikova, RUS, 1:08.64
8. Hyejin Kim, KOR, 1:08.88

Japanese Olympian Kanako Watanabe (1:07.71) battled with South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker (1:07.77) in heat 1, holding off Schoenmaker on the back half as the put up a pair of 1:07s. There were no other women below 1:08 through semis, but the USA’a Andee Cottrell (1:08.16) and Japan’s Reona Aoki (1:08.19) were close with a pair of 1:08-lows.

MEN’S 200 IM – SEMIFINALS

• Meet Record: Alex Vanderkaay (USA), 1:57.58, 2009

Top 8:

1. Daiya Seto, JPN, 1:58.63
2. Andrey Zhilkin, RUS, 2:00.17
3. Joe Litchfield, GBR, 2:00.44
4. Aleksandr Osipenko, RUS, 2:00.55
5. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 2:00.81
6. Michal Poprawa, POL, 2:01.09
7. Giovanni Sorriso, ITA, 2:01.13
8. Kenneth To, HKG, 2:01.37

Japan’s Daiya Seto, 2ho ranks #8 in the world this year in this event, was the only man to break 2:00 through semis with his 1:58.63. Russia’s Andrey Zhilkin (2:00.17), who medaled in the 50 fly earlier, and Japan’s Kosuke Hagino (2:00.81), who medaled in the 100 back earlier, qualified for the final on the back half of a double.

There will be no Americans in the final of this race, as Will Licon was the fastest for the USA and placed 9th with a 2:01.44 and missed the final by hundredths.

WOMEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL

• Meet Record: Stephanie Proud (GBR), 2:08.91, 2009

1. GOLD: Sian Whittaker, AUS, 2:09.50
2. SILVER: Alexia Zevnik, CAN, 2:09.92
3. BRONZE: Bridgette Alexander, USA, 2:10.30

Team USA’s Bridgette Alexander took the early lead with the only sub-1:03 at the halfway point, but Australia’s Sian Whittaker blasted through the back half to run her down for gold in 2:09.50. Canada’s Alexia Zevnik was also faster through the back half, picking up silver in 2:09.92. Alexander held on for 3rd, through she was nearly caught by teammate Asia Seidt, who finished just  hundredths shy of the podium with a 2:10.31 for 4th place.

MEN’S 200 FREE – SEMIFINALS

• Meet Record: Danila Izotov (RUS), 1:44.87, 2013

Top 8:

1. Mikhail Vekovishchev, RUS, 1:47.32
2. Danas Rapsys, LTU, 1:47.46
3. Kosuke Hagino, JPN, 1:47.49
4. Kacper Majchrzak, POL, 1:47.91
5. Filippo Megli, ITA, 1:48.07
6. Mitch D’Arrigo, USA, 1:48.10
7. Myles Brown, RSA, 1:48.25
8. Jonathan Atsu, FRA, 1:48.26

Japan’s Kosuke Hagino returned for his 3rd race of the night to win semifinal 1, but Russia’s Mikhail Vekovishchev was the fastest man of the night with his 1:47.32 in heat 2. Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys took on a double tonight, swimming this after winning a medal in the 100 back alongside Hagino. He was slightly faster than Hagino this time, picking up 2nd seed with his 1:47.46.

The Americans will have Mitch D’Arrigo (1:48.10) in the final, but Maxime Rooney will be absent tomorrow night after taking 10th in the semis with a 1:48.66.