Russian 16-year-old Daria Ustinova broke her own Junior World Record in the 200 meter backstroke to highlight the second day of Russia’s national championships.
Ustinova went 2:07.29, breaking the 2:08.02 she’d set at last year’s Russian Championships. That gave Ustinova a national title and a berth on the nation’s roster for this summer’s World Championships.
According to the Russian Federation’s website, the Worlds Team is being selected based on the 12th-fastest time from the last World Championships in each Olympic-distance event, and the 10th-fastest time in each non-Olympic distance race.
Ustinova’s time now ranks her 2nd in the world so far this season:
2014-2015 LCM Women 200 Back
SEEBOHM
2.05.81
| 2 | Katinka HOSSZU | HUN | 2.06.18 | 08/07 |
| 3 | Missy FRANKLIN | USA | 2.06.34 | 08/08 |
| 4 | Daria K USTINOVA | RUS | 2.07.29 | 04/19 |
| 5 | Dominique BOUCHARD | CAN | 2.08.16 | 08/07 |
Also appearing to qualify for Worlds from that race were two other up-and-coming swimmers who were born in 1998, just like Ustinova. Irina Prikhodko was second in 2:10.55 and Catherine Tomaszewski was 2:10.83. Both girls made it under the 12th-place time at the 2013 World Championships.
The Russian Federation site does note that time standards might be softer for some younger athletes on the cusp of qualifying, so we don’t officially know who is on and off the team. But with that caveat in mind, here are the rest of the other likely Worlds qualifiers from day 2:
Evgeny Rylov and Grigory Tarasevich went 1-2 in the 100 back and each earned spots on the Worlds team. Rylov was 53.17, which puts him #4 in the world so far this season, leapfrogging Olympic champ Matt Grevers. Tarasevich was 53.84 for second.
2014-2015 LCM Men 100 Back
MURPHY
52.18*relay
| 2 | Mitchell LARKIN | AUS | 52.37*relay | 08/09 |
| 3 | Camille LACOURT | FRA | 52.48 | 08/04 |
| 4 | Matt GREVERS | USA | 52.66 | 08/04 |
| 5 | Jiayu XU | CHN | 52.74*relay | 08/04 |
Two Rusisan women got under the 12th place time from 2013 Worlds in the 100 free. Natalia Lovtsova won in 54.15, and Veronika Popova was second with a 54.32. Belarus national Aleksandra Gerasimenya was 54.38 for third, also under the 12th place time from two summers ago.
Other event winners:
- Arina Openysheva won the women’s 400 free, going 4:09.91. Openyasheva is just 15 or 16 years old, listed as being born in 1999.
- The women’s 200 fly went to Maria Arsenyev in 2:12.89.
- Anton Chupkov took the 200 breast on the men’s side, going 2:10.80.
- The men’s 1500 free went to Ernest Maksumov in 15:25.72.
The most notable semi-final swim came from Vlad Morozov, who blasted a 48.36 to qualify first in the 100 free and move to 4th in our World Rankings:
2014-2015 LCM Men 100 Free
NING
47.84
| 2 | Cameron McEVOY | AUS | 47.94 | 08/05 |
| 3 | Vladimir MOROZOV | RUS | 47.98 | 04/19 |
| 3 | Santo CONDORELLI | CAN | 47.98 | 07/14 |
| 5 | Federico GRABICH | ARG | 48.11 | 07/14 |
Second is Daniel Izotov, who just missed the top 10 worldwide with a 48.59.
Other semifinals:
- Vitalina Simonova topped national record-holder Yuliya Efimova to take the top seed in the 200 breast. Simonva was 2:25.41 and Efimova, coming off her suspension for a failed drug test, 2:25.68.
- The men’s 200 IM is led by Aleksander Osipenko at 2:01.82, but Semen Makovich is just a tenth behind.
- Alexander Kudashev is the top entrant in the 200 fly, going 1:56.78 to win the semifinals.
Here are some other interesting times from the first 2 days (sadly i wasnt able to figure out the names):
Mens 200 fly semifinal: (1998) 1.56.97
Mens 400 free final: (1997) 3.51.84
Mens 100 back final: (1998) 55.78
Mens 200 breast final: (1998) 2.13.82
Womens 200 breast semifinal: (1998) 2.26.39, (1999) 2.26.92, (1998) 2.27.25
Womens 200 back final: (2000) 2.13.52
Womens 100 free final: (1999) 54.95, (1999) 54.99
Womens 800 free final: (1998) 8.43.31
First 47 of the year! Morozov 47.98, Sukhorukov, Izotov, Grechin, Lobintsev.. 49,03 to make the team
Does anybody know WHERE is Sedov?? Can´t find him even on prelims!
Weird… the Worlds Team is being selected based on the 12th-fastest time from the last World Championships in each Olympic-distance event, and the 10th-fastest time in each non-Olympic distance race.
Russia is the host nation. Travel can’t be that expensive. Why not load up with the biggest team you can?
I think Lovtsova (winner of womens 100 free) was caught doping at 2012 russian short course championships and should be banned for 2.5 years until may 30 2015. Apparently the russian swimming federation “decided” to reduce her ban to 2 years instead of 2.5 years. Im not sure if FINA agreed to reduce her ban or if the russian swimming federation just didnt care about FINA’s decision.
Openysheva should be 16 years old, i think she was born March 24th 1999.
Very impressive progression by Rylov (1996), who was 1.07 faster than at 2014 youth olympic games. Will be interesting to see his 200 back time (1.57.08 last year).
Ustinova should fight for a medal in kazan if she can repeat that time. All the other girls born in 1998/1999/2000/2001 now have to hope that she wont compete at junior world championships this year or wont be fully tapered (like at 2013 junior world championships). I always thought that 2.08 shouldnt be too difficult to beat for a 17 year old, but 2.07 is really fast for a 17 year old, at the moment i think that only Taylor Ruck can beat that time in the next couple of years.
Womens… Read more »
I assume Vyatchanin will be unable to swim for Serbia in Kazan because he hasn’t been a citizen long enough, but the next chance he gets to race against Rylov in the 100 back I would bet good money we’ll see his guts in the pool or his hand touching the wall before the Russian! 😉
Don’t put such important emotions on someone else’s head . Arkady may have financial issues with his Fed but that does not mean he has such problems with his fellow countryman. ( i believe he still has Russian citizenship ).
In addition , Russia would have had to have cleared him . They usually demand a re payment of monies but in the case of a Friendly nation , may wave it. Serbia is very closely attached to Russia & allow dual citizenship & visa free entry.
They are a major link in the new r Gas pipeline Russia _Turkey _ Greece _Macedonia _ Serbia _ Hungary maybe linking up with Austria (who could do with the money ) as… Read more »
The other thing is he may be jumping from the pan into the fire . The US also wants Serbia to co operate with its preferred LPG terminal on the Croat island of Krk (yes it is a word ) & has expedited an invite to DC . ( also to tell them off for attending the May 9th Victory celebs in Moscow ) .
Sometimes playing the game ends badly & not everything is for sale.
As far as I’ve heard – there’s no such thing as dual citinzeship for russians.
You are technically correct. However mostly they did not care if the person lived permanently overseas & had no property in Russia & had acquired another permanent residency passport . There are new laws (Jan 2014 ) & June 2014 which set a new tone. All expats use their national Russian & internal Russian passports when entering Russia. They are reluctant to give them up because you will never get one again. (There are over a million Russians in Israel for instance ) & that is the main reason for the leniency. )
The key question is -has he relinquished Russian citizenship -which if so , as a Serb he can enter visa free which he could not with Slovakia… Read more »
Part of getting the contract for A Major Global Sporting Event is that the host country agrees that if the international federation recognizes national federations as members in good standing, the host country will admit a properly credentialed delegation from that country’s federation, even if they wouldn’t normally allow the citizens of that country, as a group, or individually, into the country. Assorted Gulf States that normally do not recognize Israel still have to allow Israeli athletes into the country for a World Championship event. (And then the UAE tries to digitally erase Israeli swimmers from telecasts of the meet but that’s another story.) Michael Phelps’ drunk driving problems would normally make it hard for him to enter many other… Read more »
2:07.2 a great time for a 16 yo for Ustinova; only 2 seconds slower than what Missy Franklin was at that age, and 3 seconds off Franklin’s WR and world junior best at age 17.