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Disclaimer: Swim of the Week is not meant to be a conclusive selection of the best overall swim of the week, but rather one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper detail. The Swim of the Week is an opportunity to take a closer look at the context of one of the many fast swims this week, perhaps a swim that slipped through the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to examine as closely in the flood of weekly meets.
Turkish distance swimming is on fire.
Just a few months after Emir Batur Albayrak became the fastest 15-year-old male swimmer of all-time in the 1500 freestyle, his countryman Kuzey Tuncelli has one-upped him.
In December, Albayrak put up a time of 15:06.24 to overtake Tuncelli’s 15:14.04 for the fastest time ever from a swimmer aged 15 and under, though Tuncelli’s performance came while he was still 14.
On Thursday, Tuncelli put up a blistering time of 14:56.67 on the opening night of the Turkish World Championship Trials, not only overtaking Albayrak for the fastest time ever from a 15-year-old, but also downing Mert Kilavuz‘s Turkish National Record of 15:02.22 set last year.
Albayrak was the runner-up to Tuncelli on Thursday in a time of 15:20.96.
Split Comparison – Albayrak vs Tuncelli
| Albayrak, Dec. 2022 | Tuncelli, April 2023 | |
| 100 | 57.22 | 57.34 |
| 200 | 1:57.56 (1:00.34) | 1:57.42 (1:00.08) |
| 300 | 2:57.96 (1:00.40) | 2:57.46 (1:00.04) |
| 400 | 3:58.62 (1:00.66) | 3:57.41 (59.95) |
| 500 | 4:59.06 (1:00.44) | 4:57.20 (59.79) |
| 600 | 5:59.86 (1:00.80) | 5:56.99 (59.79) |
| 700 | 7:01.09 (1:01.23) | 6:56.71 (59.72) |
| 800 | 8:02.04 (1:00.95) | 7:56.08 (59.37) |
| 900 | 9:02.92 (1:00.88) | 8:56.20 (1:00.12) |
| 1000 | 10:03.80 (1:00.88) | 9:56.21 (1:00.01) |
| 1100 | 11:05.03 (1:01.23) | 10:56.05 (59.84) |
| 1200 | 12:06.13 (1:01.10) | 11:56.46 (1:00.41) |
| 1300 | 13:07.52 (1:01.39) | 12:57.21 (1:00.75) |
| 1400 | 14:08.57 (1:01.05) | 13:57.92 (1:00.71) |
| 1500 | 15:06.24 (57.67) | 14:56.67 (58.75) |
Split Comparison – Kilavuz vs Tuncelli
| Kilavuz, July 2021 | Tuncelli, April 2023 | |
| 100 | 57.83 | 57.34 |
| 200 | 1:58.22 (1:00.39) | 1:57.42 (1:00.08) |
| 300 | 2:58.73 (1:00.51) | 2:57.46 (1:00.04) |
| 400 | 3:59.30 (1:00.57) | 3:57.41 (59.95) |
| 500 | 4:59.63 (1:00.33) | 4:57.20 (59.79) |
| 600 | 6:00.20 (1:00.57) | 5:56.99 (59.79) |
| 700 | 7:00.73 (1:00.53) | 6:56.71 (59.72) |
| 800 | 8:01.16 (1:00.43) | 7:56.08 (59.37) |
| 900 | 9:01.81 (1:00.65) | 8:56.20 (1:00.12) |
| 1000 | 10:02.16 (1:00.35) | 9:56.21 (1:00.01) |
| 1100 | 11:02.44 (1:00.28) | 10:56.05 (59.84) |
| 1200 | 12:02.90 (1:00.46) | 11:56.46 (1:00.41) |
| 1300 | 13:03.36 (1:00.46) | 12:57.21 (1:00.75) |
| 1400 | 14:03.52 (1:00.16) | 13:57.92 (1:00.71) |
| 1500 | 15:02.22 (58.70) | 14:56.67 (58.75) |
At the 2022 European Junior Championships, Tuncelli finished eighth in a time of 15:29.12, having set a personal best of 15:25.02 in the prelims. He then turned around eight days later and clocked a new PB of 15:14.04, and then last month, got down to 15:08.67 to come within two and a half seconds of Albayrak’s mark for 15-year-olds.
His progression continued this week with his monster performance, which qualifies him for the 2023 World Championships and ranks him 11th in the world this season.
Among 15-year-old swimmers, Tuncelli is the first ever under 15 minutes, and in addition to his near 10-second gap over Albayrak, he’s more than 18 seconds faster than the third-fastest 15 & under swimmer in history, Mack Horton.
All-Time Performers, 1500 Freestyle (LCM) – 15 & Under Boys
- Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR), 14:56.67 – 2023
- Emir Batur Albayrak (TUR), 15:06.24 – 2022
- Mack Horton (AUS), 15:14.73 – 2012
- David Betlehem (HUN), 15:15.60 – 2019
- Wang Kecheng (CHN), 15:16.23 – 2012
- Evan Pinion (USA), 15:17.09 – 2010
- Yuto Sato (JPN), 15:17.22 – 2011
- Wu Peng (CHN), 15:18.65 – 2001
- Wu Yuhang (CHN), 15:19.38 – 2013
- Silas Beth (GER), 15:20.58 – 2019
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Tuncelli is also more than seven seconds faster than the current U.S. National Age Group Record for 15-16 boys, which stands at 15:03.91 from Bobby Hackett set some 47 years ago at the 1976 Olympics (done while he was 16).
Tuncelli also set a Turkish 15-16 Age Group Record with his opening 800 free split of 7:56.08, and will be taking aim at the national mark of 7:51.20 in the 800 free on Sunday.
Albayrak (3:52.80) picked up a victory in the 400 free on Friday, with Tuncelli placing fourth in 3:54.72. The entire ‘A’ final consisted of swimmers born in either 2006 or 2007, further punctuating the rise of Turkish distance swimming.
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