2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
- Budapest, Hungary
- Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
- Event Site
- Entry List
- Live Results
- Live Stream
The men’s 100m freestyle saw Kliment Kolesnikov roar to the wall first to take the European Championships gold, nabbing a new meet record in the process.
Stopping the clock in a time of 47.37, Kolesnikov overtook the previous championships record of 47.50 that Frenchman Alain Bernard put on the books way back in 2008. Now 13 years later, 20-year-old Kolesnikov took it down with the 2nd fastest time of his career, nearly surpassing his own Russian national record of 47.31 he logged just last month at the Russian Championships.
Splits for Kolesnikov’s result included 22.50 on the way out and 24.87 on the way home.
Runner-up to Kolesnikov in this race was Italian Alessandro Miressi, who registered a new national record yet again with his silver medal-worthy 47.45. Rounding out the top 3 was Kolesnikov’s teammate and Stanford commit Andrei Minakov who touched in 47.74. This marks just the 2nd time that Russia/the USSR has had 2 European Championships medalists in the 100m free, with the other occasion back in 1989.
The entire final was a heated affair, as the top 5 finishers all got under the 48-second threshold. Hungary’s Nandor Nemeth sneaked into the wall in 47.84 for 4th while 5th place went to Maxime Grousset of France in 47.90. 16-year-old David Popovici, just 16, nearly also cracked 48 seconds, popping a new lifetime best of 48.08 for 6th.
Going back to Kolesnikov, this championships record of 47.37 is icing on the cake he already prepared last night in the men’s 50m back final. The Russian lowered his own newly-minted World Record in the event en route to gold, firing off a monstrous 23.80 as the fastest man ever.
It’s noteworthy(besides Popovici) all the guys in the final are young guns, being Miressi the old guy at 22!A guy like Nemeth or Minakov can be in another level of swimming in two years.
It is a national record for Hungary, Bravo Nándi!
“This marks just the 2nd time that Russia/the USSR has had 2 European Championships medalists in the 100m free, with the other occasion back in 189.”
189 AD or 189 BC?
189 A1800
Are these guys peaking too early in Olympic year?
Is it wrong of me to be suspicious of any Russian swimmer’s performance? I haven’t recovered from watching the Icarus documentary.
Already finding excuses for Dressel´s downfall in two months time 🙂
Dressel has gone much faster but we haven’t accused him of doping
The US wasn’t banned from the Olympics.
Most professional athletes are taking something. It doesnt discredit him if he is because others are too
“What did it cost?”
“My backstroke final”