Swimmer's Daily

  • New kids on the blocks: Wellbrock, Miressi, Milak rock the field

    A bunch of youngsters rocked the competition on Day 3, all collecting their respective first ever golds among the seniors at a major event. 21 year-old Florian Wellbrock (GER) stunned the field in the 1500m free, Alessandro Miressi (ITA), 19, hit in first in the 100m free while Kristof Milak (HUN), 18, rattled Michael Phelps’ gigantic 200m fly WR split at the half-way mark before ending up winning with a Championship Record. Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) set a new junior WR in the semis of the 100m back, to join the party.

    MIRESSI Alessandro ITA Gold Medal 100m Freestyle Men Finals Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Masini/ Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto
    Efimova Yuliya RUS Gold Medal 100m Breaststroke Women Glasgow 05/08/2018 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    WELLBROCK Florian GER Gold Medal ROMANCHUK Mykhaylo UKR Silver Medal PALTRINIERI Gregorio ITA Bronze Medal 1500m Freestyle Men Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    MIRESSI Alessandro ITA Gold Medal SCOTT Duncan W GBR Silver Medal METELLA Mehdy FRA Bronze Medal 100m Freestyle Men Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    EFIMOVA Yuliya RUS Gold Medal MEILUTYTE Ruta LTU Silver Medal CASTIGLIONI Arianna ITA Bronze Medal 100m Breaststroke Women Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    DAVIES Georgia GBR Gold Medal FESIKOVA Anastasiia RUS Silver Medal JALLOW Mimosa FIN Bronze Medal 50m Backstroke Women Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    MILAK Kristof HUN Gold Medal KENDERESI Tamas HUN Silver Medal BURDISSO Federico ITA Bronze Medal 200m Butterfly Men Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Team GREAT BRITAIN Gold Medal JARVIS Calum SCOTT Duncan W DEAN Thomas GUY James Team RUSSIA Silver Medal VEKOVISHCHEV Mikhail MALYUTIN Martin IZOTOV Danila DOVGALYUK Mikhail Team ITALY Bronze Medal PROIETTI COLONNA Alessio MEGLI Filippo CIAMPI Matteo ZUIN Mattia 4x200m Freestyle Relay Men Final Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    WELLBROCK Florian GER Gold Medal 1500m Freestyle Men Finals Glasgow 05/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Masini/ Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

    The top guns of Europe’s future generations offered some brilliant appetizer what we might witness in the coming decade when something big is at stake. Germany’s Florian Wellbrock upset the field in a couple of highlighted open water events recently before achieving what no other swimmer could do since 2013: he beat the king of the 1500m free Gregorio Paltrinieri in a long-course event. In fact, Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk also finished ahead of the Italian, he managed to do that at the short-course Europeans last December in Copenhagen and he was ready to repeat the feat but Wellbrock bettered both of them while clocking the 4th best ever time in history.

    Next came the blue-ribband event and Italy’s new teenage sensation Alessandro Miressi whose 46.99 anchor leg in the 4x100m free final already caught the eyes. He was just out of reach for the others this time, gained 0.2sec on Duncan Scott (GBR) and Mehdy Metella (FRA) as he landed his first big title.

    Kristof Milak already made his name by clinching silver at the 2017 FINA Worlds in Budapest in the 100m fly, and the Hungarian wonderkid sent a killing message this spring in the 200m with a new junior world record (1:52.71, 0.01sec shy of the senior ER) which was all-time 3rd and second-best ever in textile. Now he was out for more and at the halfway mark even Michael Phelps’ giant shiny WR seemed to be in danger (he was 0.12 sec below the 2009 split). But Milak admittedly began too strong, was out of breath for the finish so he had to settle for a CR (1:52.79), with Tamas Kenderesi coming second, settling another Hungarian 1-2 after six years. Still, Milak’s destiny seems to be set: so far only Phelps and ER holder Laszlo Cseh were able to go under 1:52.8, now he did that twice in a span of four months.

    Host Great Britain was delighted again by a great win of Georgia Davies who broke the ER in the heats of the 50m back, now she was just 0.02sec away from another record-breaking performance, good enough for gold. And the home crowd could applaud another victory as the men’s 4x200m free relay also struck gold.

    Yulia Efimova claimed gold in the 100m breast, her first European triumph after eight years. She was the one who maintained the Russians’ golden streak here in Glasgow, since in the synchro pool they skipped the free combo event so that title went to the Ukrainians.

    For the Russians more will come on Day 4 as Kliment Kolesnikov signed up for the 100m back final with a new junior WR (52.95) in the semis.

    For detailed results, medal tables, visit www.len.eu

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala

  • Erie native Conrad Kubaney becomes the first swimmer to finish the 24-mile trek from Long Point, Ontario, to Freeport Beach in North East in less than 11 hours (10 hours, 56 minutes, 45 seconds).

  • French double in swimming, Russia makes 2+1 in two pools

    French swimmers took a flying start at the European Championships in Glasgow, Fantine Lesaffre’s gold in the 400m IM fired up the team and they added the women’s 4x100m free relay later. The Russians also enjoyed a fine opening, claimed both titles in the synchro pool and their men’s 4x100m free relay returned to the throne after eight years.

    ROMANCHUK Mykhaylo UKR Gold medal CHRISTIANSEN Henrik NOR Silver Medal MUEHLLEITNER Henning GER Bronze Medal 400m Freestyle Men Final Glasgow 03/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Giorgio Scala/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    LEN_EC_Glasgow_18/G.Scala_DBMedia
    LEN_EC_Glasgow_18/G.Scala_DBMedia
    TEAM RUSSIA KOLESNICHENKO Svetlana , SUBBOTINA Varvara DUET TECHNICAL ROUTINE FINAL Glasgow 03/08/18 Synchronised Swimming Scotstoun Sports Campus LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    TEAM UKRAINE Silver Medal TEAM RUSSIA Gold Medal TEAM ITALY Bronze Medal Duet Tech Podium Medal Ceremony Glasgow 03/08/18 Synchronised Swimming Scotstoun Sports Campus LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    TEAM RUSSIA RUS Gold Medal KOLESNICHENKO Svetlana / SUBBOTINA Varvara Duet Tech Podium Medal Ceremony Glasgow 03/08/18 Synchronised Swimming Scotstoun Sports Campus LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    TEAM ITALY ITA Silver Medal TEAM RUSSIA RUS Gold Medal TEAM SPAIN ESP Broze Medal Duet Mix Tech Podium Medal Ceremony Glasgow 03/08/18 Synchronised Swimming Scotstoun Sports Campus LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    TEAM RUSSIA GURBANBERDIEVA Mayya , MALTSEV Aleksandr DUET MIX TECHNICAL ROUTINE Glasgow 03/08/18 Synchronised Swimming Scotstoun Sports Campus LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Pasquale Mesiano/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    LESAFFRE Fantine FRA Gold Medal 400m Medley Women Finals Glasgow 03/08/18 Swimming Tollcross International Swimming Centre LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Masini/ Deepbluemedia/Insidefoto

    Fantine Lesaffre stunned the field of the women’s 400m IM and took over the crown of Katinka Hosszu who opted to skip her dearest event (she won the previous three editions). With the Hungarian being away, Ilaria Cusinato was considered the favourite but Lesaffre never let her moving in front and won by 0.88sec at the end.

    Members of the French women’s free relay admitted that their compatriot’s victory had fired them up. Charlotte Bonnet’s brilliant 52.20sec second leg gave them a fine advantage which they could keep till the end, though the Dutch pressed them hard but 0.12sec still separated the two quartets.

    The men’s 400m free title landed in the hands of Mykhaylo Romanchuk. The Ukrainian (celebrating his 22nd birthday in four days) clinched his first long-course gold at the Europeans – he won this event last December in Copenhagen at the short-course meet. He was a class apart, his winning margin (1.89sec) tells the story, the battle for the minor spoils was much sharper, 0.17sec separated the next three swimmers as Norway’s Henrik Christiansen claimed the silver.

    The last gold went to Russia: after eight years their men’s 4x100m free relay returned to the top. Vladimir Morozov (47.61) and Kliment Kolesnikov (47.39) were the engines behind their fine win, 0.67sec ahead of Italy whose 19 year-old anchor man Alessandro Miressi did a real blast (46.99), securing his team’s silver.

    In fact, the Russians landed the first two titles in the pools here in Glasgow – not surprisingly their synchro duets clinched both golds on the opening day. Svetlana Kolesnichenko and Varvara Subbotina were a cut above the rest while Alexandr Maltsev, swimming with a new partner Mayya Gurbanberdieva, managed to take a revenge for their defeat at last year’s Worlds and this time bettered Italy’s Giorgio Minisini and Manila Flamini.

    For detailed results, medal tables, visit www.len.eu

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Giorgio Scala

  • The Great British Swim is as much a mental game as a physical one, and as Ross arrives in Scottish waters the enormity of the task facing him begins to hit home. It’s now time for the Great British Swimmer to call on the advice of his good friend and ex-special forces operative, Ant Middleton to help him overcome the ensuing mental battle.

  • Anthony Nesty becomes a Suriname hero as he shocks the American favorite to win swimming gold at the Olympic Games in 1988.

  • Programme and results here on Microplus

  • Remember the name Clark Kent Apuada.

    Apuada is 10 years old and from Salinas, California, and during the Far West International Swimming Championship on Sunday, he competed in seven events and came in first in all of them. In the 100-meter butterfly, he smashed a record set by Olympian Michael Phelps at the event 23 years ago, breaking it by 1.1 seconds. “Most people just call me Clark, but now, when I beat Michael Phelps’ record, they start calling me Superman,” he told CBS News. “I thought to myself, yeah, if I had positive thoughts, positive things would happen.”

    Phelps congratulated Apuada, tweeting: “Big congrats to #clarkkent for smashing that meet record!!! Keep it up dude!! #dreambig.” Apuada, who began swimming competitively when he was 6 years old, said his goal is to one day compete in the Olympics.

    See for instance The Week and CTV News

  • An entangled whale shark is now free thanks to a group of free divers.

    We first told you last month that the juvenile animal was spotted off Maui, caught in heavy rope.

    Freeing it was difficult because whale sharks are actually sharks, and don’t surface like whales do. That is, until this weekend, when a group of free divers spotted the whale shark off Lanai.

    After about five dives and an hour and a half later, one of the divers was finally able to cut the rope free using nothing but a dive knife.

    “It’s one thing to get down to 40 feet on a breath of air. It’s another thing to get down to 40 feet, jump on a 20-foot whale shark, and start sawing with a knife like it’s your job,” said diver Jon Sprague.

    See KHON2 and Star Adviser

  • Paltrinieri: “The motivation is the same as ever”

    More than 1,000 athletes, more than 200 journalists and more than 40 broadcasters – European Aquatics are ready to put on the greatest show once again, as President Paolo Barelli said in the LEN’s opening press conference on the eve of the European Championships in Glasgow. Two greats from the swimming meet, Olympic, world and European champion Gregorio Paltrinieri and double title-holder David Verraszto are in top shape and keen to continue their respective golden passages.

    Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gergely CSURKA, Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gergely CSURKA, Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto
    Pia HOLMEN, David VERRASZTO, Paolo BARELLI, Gregorio PALTRINIERI, Per RUNE EKNES Glasgow 02/08/2018 Media Hub. Len Press Conference LEN European Aquatics Championships 2018 European Championships 2018 Photo Andrea Staccioli/ Deepbluemedia /Insidefoto

    LEN President Paolo Barelli was happy to announce that the upcoming European Championships would see more than 1,000 athletes participating in the four aquatic disciplines. “Alone in swimming we will have 47 national federations with 645 swimmers and let me emphasise that LEN has 52 members and 47 are here with competitors, this is a brilliant number” Mr Barelli said at the opening press conference. In diving 23 NFs entered while the artistic swimming and open water swimming events are to feature athletes from 22 NFs apiece.

    The President emphasised that LEN was convinced that the new format of the European Championships with six sports in Glasgow and athletics in Berlin would be a tremendous hit in the sport market. “We are expecting outstanding viewing figures and great media coverage and of course fantastic performances from our athletes. Now, the field is yours” Mr Barelli said, giving the floor to the two swimming greats sitting next to him at the conference.

    Gregorio Paltrinieri clinched – or rather swept – all titles on offer in the past five years and enjoys an unbeaten run in the 1500m free in long-course majors, the Italian’s motivation is still the same. “I’m here to win again as I enjoy the challenge as much as ever” the Olympic champion said. “Recently Mykhailo Romanchuk from Ukraine have starting pressing me, and this is great as I feel that I have to improve every year.”

    Greg has already got some adventures in open water swimming, though his European Championships premiere will not happen here. “The lake is just too cold here but I’ve started racing in open water and perhaps next year I will test myself at the World Championships and maybe make a try to qualify for the Olympics. I love open water but you need a lot of experience in order to be successful.”

    Another title-holder, David Verraszto, whose success story also began in 2014, aims to become the oldest ever winner of the 400m IM. “This is one of the big challenge for me here in Glasgow” the 30 year-old said. “I think I’ve managed to reach a good shape, this I have to also thank to Gregorio whom I was training together in Sierra Nevada.”

    LEN Bureau Members and swimming liaison Pia Holmen talked about the global premiere of a new event, the 4x200m mixed free relay which surely give an extra value to the championships. Media liaison Per Rune Eknes added that this event with all the new features in broadcasting and in media shapes the future of sports and said he was happy to see LEN was among the first ones to embrace the new ideas.

    Press release from LEN, photos courtesy of Deepbluemedia/Andrea Staccioli