Junior World Swimmers Are Set Up For Records In Final Night In Dubai

The final preliminary session of the FINA Junior World Championships were completed this morning. The times may show slight fatigue in the sixth day of competition for the swimmers, but still many Championship records could go down tonight in the final session of swimming in Dubai.

Men’s 200 Backstroke Prelims –

Luca Mencarini from Italy leads the pack in the men’s 200 backstroke. He finished just under 2 minute at 1:59.62.

Connor Green from the United States was also under 2 minutes, at 1:59.75. His teammate Alexander Katz was right behind in 3^rd this morning at 2:00.00.

Rounding out the top eight for tonight are Keita Sunama, Japan (2:00.90), Danas Rapsys, Lithuania (2:01.00), Christopher Reid, South Africa (2:01.31), David Foldhazi, Hungary (2:01.31), and Axel Lennart Pettersson, Sweden (2:03.10).

Women’s 200 Breaststroke Prelims –

Viktoriya Solnceva, Ukraine, finished at 2:25.92 this morning, very close to the Championship record (2:25.19). Her seed time is under that record, and she finds herself three seconds faster than the field, so it may be a race against the clock for her tonight.

Ukraine has another finalists with Anastasiya Malyavina in 4^th, 2:30.67.

Molly Renshaw from Great Britain is 2^nd, 2:28.84. Her teammate Sophie Taylor is 7^th, 2:31.79.  Italy’s Silvia Guerra rounds out the top 3 this morning at 2:29.87.

Jenna Strauch (AUS) is 5^th, 2:31.00; Marlene Huther (GER) is 6^th, 2:31.05; Justin Ann MacFarlane (RSA) is 8^th, 2:31.89.

Men’s 200 Butterfly Prelims –

Japan’s Masata Sakaki is 1^st for tonight at 1:58.01.

The United State’s Andrew Seliskar is 2^nd at 1:58.76. He will be the lone swimmer for Team USA tonight, after Justin Lynch finished 9^th this morning.

Luiz Altamir Melo from Brazil rounds out the top 3 at 1:58.94.

Australia will have top finalists tonight with Mitchell Pratt finishing 5^th, 1:59.97, and Isaac Jones finishing 7^th, 2:00.16.

Alexander Kudashev (RUS) is 4^th, 1:58.98; James Guy (GBR) is 6^th, 1:59.98; Dominik Ciezkowski (POL) is 8^th, 2:01.45.

Women’s 200 Freestyle Prelims –

No sub 2-minute performance this morning for the women. Russia’s Mariia Baklakova is 1^st at 2:00.62. United State’s Quinn Carrozza is close behind at 2:00.87.

Australia’s Alanna Bowles rounds out the top 3 at 2:01.14. Her teammate also rounded out the top 8, as Chelsea Gillett finished 8^th at 2:02.29.

Top names we won’t see in finals tonight include Kathryn McLaughlin (USA) and Valeriia Salamatina (RUS). Both were seeded under 2 minutes, but swim 2:03s this morning on the last day of competition.

Men 4x100m Medley Relay Prelims –

Russia’s team of Tarasevich, Khomenko, Makovich and Kuzmenko topped the field this morning at 3:40.81.

Japan is close behind at 3:40.84 with Sunama, Goto, Yasue and Maruyama.

United States rounds out the top 3 with Harty, Vissering, Lynch and Powers finishing at 3:41.28.

The United States hold the Championship record from 2011, at 3:39.65, and with some solid names switches for finals tonight that easily could go down on our final night of competition.

The Australian’s can’t be counted out for tonight. They are 5^th after this morning with the team of Hore, Sucipto, Robertson and Jones finishing at 3:44.27.

Women 4x100m Medley Relay Prelims –

Smiddy, Roses, Weaver and Schneider from the United States are 1^st after prelims with a time of 4:08.98.

McKenzie, Evans, Day and Vertigans of Great Britain are 2^nd at 4:09.27. Solid 54.90 anchor leg from Vertigans this morning for Great Britain.

Russia is 3^rd for the women at 4:10.21, with a quartet of Larina, Belousova, Guzhenkova and Kolotushkina.

The Australian women are 4^th with Rettie, Strauch, Schlicht and Miller finishing at 4:10.56.

The Championship record by Japan in 2011 is 4:05.65. While this morning these preliminary squads seem to be off that time, with the power some of these relays have, this time also could go down tonight.

Men’s 1500 Freestyle “Slow Heats” –

Heading into the top eight swimming tonight, Mykhailo Romanchuk from Ukraine leads the way at 15:18.81.

His time has him 5^th if comparing the seed times with the top eight swimming in finals tonight. Australia’s Mackenzie Horton, the only swimmer seeded under 15, could have another great distance swim tonight following his 800 from earlier this week.