2019 World University Games: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

2019 WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES/SUMMER UNIVERSIADE – SWIMMING

• July 4th-9th, 2019
• Napoli, Italy
• LCM (50m)
• Live Stream: Olympic Channel (in US), Rai Sport (in Italy)
• Entry Lists & Live Results
• Day 2 Finals Heat Sheet

Team USA had a strong opening to the World University Games yesterday, picking up three gold medals with victories in the men’s and women’s 4 x 100 freestyle relays, as well as a gold and a silver in the women’s 400 IM, with Makayla Sargent and Evie Pfeifer going 1-2. Today, Team USA holds the top seed in the men’s 100 backstroke final with Justin Ress, who will square off with Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich.

After breaking the meet record and dipping under 1:00 for the first time in his career yesterday, Ian Finnerty will seek to improve upon his time and grab a gold medal in the men’s 100 breaststroke. Similarly, Asia Seidt will seek to improve upon her own new meet record in the 200 backstroke and defend her top seed.

Men’s 50m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 22.27, Andrii Govorov (UKR), 2018
• Meet Record: 22.90, Andrii Govorov (UKR), 2017

1. William Yang, AUS, 23.32
2. Yuya Tanaka, JPN, 23.35
3. Grigori Pekarski, BLR, 23.47

Australia’s William Yang flew to victory in the men’s 100 fly, finishing in a nail-biter 23.32, just 3/100ths in front of Japan’s Yuya Tanaka, who touhed 2nd in 23.35. Belarusian Grigori Pekarski took bronze in 23.47, leaving Poland’s Pawel Sendyk off the podium with a 23.63 for 4th.

American teammates Jack Saunderson and Coleman Stewart rounded out the heat with 7th and 8th-place finishes, respectively, touching in 23.97 and 24.00.

Women’s 100m Freestyle – Semi-Final

• World Record: 51.71, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2017
• Meet Record: 53.50, Aleksandra Gerasimenya (BLR), 2013

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Gabby DeLoof, USA, 54.41
2. Veronica Burchill, USA, 55.19
3. Elizaveta Klevanovich, GER, 55.63
4. Jessica Felsner, GER, 55.83
5. Paola Biagioli ITA, 55.89
6. Ainsley McMurray, CAN, 55.93
7. Anna Kolarova, CZE, 55.96
8. Aki Nishizu, JPN, 56.10

Team USA’s Gabby DeLoof takes the top seed in the women’s 100 freestyle, improving upon her 54.53 from the 2018 U.S. National Championships last July. Yesterday, DeLoof anchored the American 4 x 100 freestyle relay in an impressive 53.87. Teammate Veronica Burchill takes the 2nd seed, fully 7/10ths behind DeLoof.

Germany’s Elizaveta Klevanovich and Jessica Felsner qualify 3rd and 4th, touching in 55.63 and 55.83, respectively. Italy’s Paola Biagioli was just behind in 55.89, while Canadian Ainsley McMurray takes the 6th seed in 55.93.

The only other swimmer under 56 was Anna Kolarova of the Czech Republic, who touched in 55.96. Japan’s Aki Nishizu will take lane 8 in the finals with a 56.10.

Men’s 100m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 51.85, Ryan Murphy (USA), 2016
• Meet Record: 52.60, Ryosuke Irie (JPN), 2009

1. Grigory Tarasevich, RUS, 53.51
2. Yohann N’Doye-Brouard, FRA, 53.80
3. Justin Ress, USA, 53.81

Russia’s Grigory Tarasevich was out fast, flipping in 25.98, and with a 27.53 on the second 50, able to finish the race and hit the wall first in 53.51, comfortably ahead of France’s Yohann N’Doye-Brouard who took silver in 53.80, just out-touching American Justin Ress, who finished in 53.81, himself barely ahead of South Africa’s Zane Waddell, who finished in 53.87. Bryce Mefford of Team USA finished 5th in 54.42.

After the race, Justin Ress was briefly attended to by paramedics for dizziness seemingly related to an unusually high heartbeat. He was eventually released and allowed to rejoin Team USA after his heartbeat stabilized.

Brazilians Guilherme Basseto and Gabriel Fantoni rounded out the heat in 7th and 8th, touching in 54.80 and 54.83, respectively.

Women’s 50m Butterfly – Final

• World Record: 24.43, Sarah Sjostrom (SWE), 2014
• Meet Record: 25.72, Lu Ying (CHN), 2015

1. Tayla Lovemore, RSA, 26.25
2. Ai Soma, JPN, 26.38
3. Soeun Jeong, KOR, 26.41

South Africa’s Tayla Lovemore scratched the semi-finals of the women’s 100 freestyle to focus on the 50 butterfly, and that decision paid off. Lovemore won the women’s 50 fly in a new South African national record time of 26.25, just ahead of Japan’s Ai Soma, who took the silver in 26.38, herself just a nail ahead of South Korea’s Soeun Jeong who took bronze in 26.41.

Lovemore’s record comes just months after Erin Gallagher reset both the 50 and 100 butterfly South African records at the South African National Championships in April. Gallagher’s now former record had stood at 26.30.

Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Final

• World Record: 57.10, Adam Peaty (GBR), 2018
• Meet Record: 59.51, Ian Finnerty (USA), 2019

1. Ian Finnerty, USA, 59.49
2. Kirill Prigoda, RUS, 59.50
3. Yuya Hinomoto, JPN, 59.72

Top-seed and Games Record holder Ian Finnerty reset his own one-day-old record in the men’s 100 breaststroke, delivering a 59.49 to win the gold medal. Russia’s Kirill Prigoda was just behind Finnerty, finishing in 59.50. Japan’s Yuya Hinomoto took the bronze medal in 59.72. Lithuania’s Andrius Sidlauskas and South Africa’s Michael Houlie also broke the 1-minute barrier, touching 59.84 and 59.92 to finish 4th and 5th, respectively.

For Finnerty, the swim tonight comes as a new lifetime best time, and only his 2nd-ever performance under the 1-minute barrier. Prigoda, meanwhile, is the 2017 World Championships bronze medalist and Russian record holder in this event, and finishes about half-a-second off his best time from 2017.

Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Semi-Final

• World Record: 1:04.13, Lilly King (USA), 2017
• Meet Record: 1:05.48, Yulia Efimova (RUS), 2013

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker, RSA, 1:06.32
2. Kanako Watanabe, JPN, 1:07.15
3. Jhennifer Alves, BRA, 1:07.68
4. Emily Weiss, USA, 1:07.78
5. Mai Fukasawa, JPN, 1:07.79
6. Sarah Vasey, GBR, 1:07.84
7. Chelsea Hodges, AUS, 1:07.94
8. Francesca Fangio, ITA, 1:08.17

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker put up a 1:06.32 to take the top seed going into tomorrow’s championship final in the women’s 100 breaststroke. Schoenmaker’s swim also comes as a new national record–the second South African record set tonight–and makes her the top seed tomorrow by 8/10ths over Japan’s Kanako Watanabe. Watanabe is the defending WUGs champion in this event, and is the 2015 World Champion in the 200 breast.

Brazil’s Jhennifer Alves qualified 3rd in 1:07.68, and USA’s Emily Weiss 4th in 1:07.78, just off her best time, and 1/100th ahead of Japan’s Mai Fukasawa, who takes the 5th seed in 1:07.79.

Great Britain’s Sarah Vasey, one of a handful of ISL swimmers at the Summer Universiade, qualified 6th in 1:07.84, while Chelsea Hodges of Australia and Francesca Fangio of Italy round out the field.

Men’s 200m IM – Semi-Final

• World Record: 1:54.00, Ryan Lochte (USA), 2011
• Meet Record: 1:57.35, Kosuke Hagino (JPN), 2017

Top 8 Finishers:

1. Joe Litchfield, GBR, 1:59.85
2. Juran Mizohata, JPN, 2:00.16
3. Tomoya Takeuchi, JPN, 2:00.34
4. Daniel Sos, HUN, 2:00.39
5. Samy Helmbacher, FRA, 2:00.43
6. Jared Gilliland, AUS, 2:00.49
7. Hsing-Hao Wang, TPE, 2:00.55
8. Felix Ziemann, GER, 2:01.61

Great Britain’s Joe Litchfield was the only man under 2:00 in the semi-finals of the men’s 200 IM, though Japanese Juran Mizohata and Tomoya Takeuchi, as well as Hungary’s Daniel Sos, are knocking on the door of 1:59, so we may expect multiple swimmers under 2:00 in tomorrow’s final.

France’s Samy Helmbacher (2:00.43) and Australian Jared Gilliland (2:00.49) qualified 5th and 6th, while Taiwan’s Hsing-Hao Wang will take the 7th seed and lane 1 in tomorrow’s final. German Felix Ziemann also makes his way into the championship final by way of a 2:01.61 this evening to qualify 8th.

Russian open water specialist Maxim Stupin finished 9th in 2:01.75. Americans Sam Stewart and John Shebat were shut-out of the semi-finals this morning, due to disqualifications during their prelims swims.

Women’s 200m Backstroke – Final

• World Record: 2:04.06, Missy Franklin (USA), 2012
• Meet Record: 2:08.81, Asia Seidt (USA), 2019

1. Lisa Bratton, USA, 2:07.91
2. Asia Seidt, USA, 2:08.56
3. Chloe Golding, GBR, 2:09.57

2018 short course 200 backstroke World Champion Lisa Bratton claimed gold in the LCM version of the event tonight in Napoli with an impressive 2:07.91 in the women’s 200 backstroke final. Bratton beat-out teammate and top-seed/(former) games record holder Asia Seidt, who took silver in 2:08.56. Great Britain’s Chloe Golding finished 3rd in 2:09.57, the only other woman to break the 2:10 barrier this evening.

For Bratton, the swim is a best time–her first improvement in the race since the 2016 Olympic Trials where she touched in 2:08.20, finishing 3rd. Seidt also improved upon her lifetime best tonight, shaving about a quarter-of-a-second from her previous PR, set just yesterday.

Men’s 200m Freestyle – Semi-Final

• World Record: 1:42.00, Paul Biederman (GER), 2009
• Meet Record: 1:44.87, Danila Izotov (RUS), 2013

1. Nikolay Snegirev, RUS, 1:47.42
2. Zach Apple, USA, 1:47.76,
3. Aleksandr Fedorov, RUS, 1:47.97
4. Jaehoon Yang, KOR, 1:48.14
5. Stefano Di Cola, ITA, 1:48.31
6. Matteo Ciampi, ITA, 1:48.65
7. Jordan Pothain, FRA, 1:48.67
8. Trey Freeman, USA, 1:48.69

Russia’s Nikolay Snegirev secured the top seed going into the finals of the men’s 200 freestyle tomorrow with a 1:47.42, but he will get a race out of American Zach Apple, who will take lane 5 after qualifying in 1:47.76. Russian Aleksandr Fedorov qualified 3rd in 1:47.97, the only other swimmer sub-1:48. South Korea’s Jaehoon Yang takes the 4th seed with a 1:48.14. Italy got two swimmers into the finals by way of Stefano Di Cola (1:48.31) and Matteo Ciampi (1:48.65). France’s Jordan Pothain qualified 7th, while Team USA’s Trey Freeman got in 8th with a 1:48.69.