Silver in the relay, scandal at the award ceremony and the return of the championship to Kazan: the results of the 10th day of the World Championships in water sports

Silver start

On the very first day of the medal world championships in the South Korean Gwangju team, the Russian team replenished their piggy bank. In the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay, domestic swimmers became silver medalists, losing only to current world champions from the US team.

In the morning swims, the Russian national team coaching staff decided to conduct an experiment - a quartet of athletes half consisted of backstroke experts. Clement Kolesnikov, who had recently experienced health problems, and Yevgeny Rylov joined the opening of this season to Vladislav Grinev and Andrei Minakov. The first experience was successful - the Russians were selected with the third time, at the same time winning a quota for the Olympics in Tokyo.

In the final, Minakov was replaced by an experienced Vladimir Morozov, while Nathan Adrian came out as the finisher for the US team. In January of this year, a 30-year-old athlete was diagnosed with cancer, but he managed to undergo a course of treatment and return to the sport to the highest level.

Starting from the second stage, only Russians and Americans fought for gold. Kolesnikov passed the baton to Rylov second, and the world champion in swimming on the back almost caught up with Adrian, showing just a phenomenal start. But the second half of the distance was better for the American swimmer, and with his help the United States not only won gold, but also broke the competition record.

Men's 4x100m Sterling Freestyle winning gold with a new Championship Record time of 3: 09.06. Russia, Australia and Australia won the bronze just ahead of Italy. All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV#FINAGwangju2019#Swimming#FINApic.twitter.com/FTcWPQj8pU

The Russians took the second place, winning the third silver since, in 2003, the team led by Alexander Popov won a single victory. Rylov showed the second time among all participants at a separate stage, which is a special reason for pride. At the same time in the personal swim, he does not plan to start, as he passed the selection only in swimming on his back.

Protest against Sun Yang

The first day of swimming races did not go without a major scandal, which was associated with a 400 m freestyle swim. All the attention of fans in this discipline was riveted to the rivalry between Sun Yan and Mac Horton. The Olympic champion from China has recently become the main antagonist of the sport because of suspicions of violating anti-doping rules, and it was the Australian who most often accused his opponent of unfair competition. Both of them had to play gold and silver at 400 meters.

In the final, Lithuanian Danas Rapshis captured the early lead, but Sun Yang came out on top to the 200 m mark. He finished alone, while Horton pulled out silver in a dispute with Italian Gabriele Detti after the final turn. For the fourth time in a row, Sun Yang became the champion at a distance of 400 meters and was the third swimmer to win ten gold medals in his personal swims. Before him, this was achieved only by Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte.

Glounging with China's 400g Freestyle! All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV#FINAGwangju2019#Swimming#FINApic.twitter.com/BNmN6zJuSH

The victory of the athlete, whom the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Sports Arbitration Court, upset Horton greatly. He refused to congratulate Sun Yang and stand with him on the podium even during the singing of the Chinese hymn. During the ensuing protocol proceedings, the Australian stayed aloof from his rival.

MACK'S SILENT PROTEST 😳

Mack Horton just finished second to Sun Yang. He refused to stand on the same podium.

MORE news and incredible pictures here 👉 https://t.co/0KNztaLzzl#FINAGwangju2019#Swimming#FINApic.twitter.com/e3NTcSeRXd

As for the Russian swimmers, they did not participate in the final, although they were very close to this. Alexander Krasnykh showed the ninth result in qualifying, and he lacked only 0.31 seconds to go further. World Championship debutant Martin Malyutin took 11th place. Over the past ten years, Russians have not come close to such indicators.

Two Russians in the final butterfly

The Russians have never developed a relationship with the sprint butterfly. Back in 2003, only Yevgeny Korotyshkin managed to win the bronze, and since then none of the compatriots reached even the semi-finals. But this season the situation has changed dramatically. Oleg Kostin and Andrey Zhilkin got to the heights of the rating in this non-Olympic discipline. And if from the first one could have expected such agility after bronze at last year’s European Championship, then the second jump was a surprise for many.

At the World Cup, they came to prove that they can at least reach the final, and there they hope for good luck. In the preliminary swims, Kostin showed the third time, losing 0.17 seconds to world record-holder Ukrainian Andrei Govorov and winner of seven gold medals of the past world championship of the planet Kaleb Dressel from the USA. Zhilkin became the seventh.

In the semifinals, the stakes rose, and Dressel already directly voiced a bid to win, breaking the competition record, which belonged to Milorad Chavic from Serbia for ten years. Between the American and Kostin this time, in addition to Govorov, the Brazilian Nicholas Santos came in, who, at the age of 39, dreams of exchanging two silver pieces of past competitions for long-awaited gold. At the same time, the Russian improved his time to 22.88 seconds, almost breaking his own country record. Zhilkin also selected the final, but with the eighth time.

Petey's world record

In swimming for 100 meters breaststroke in men, the main character remains the Briton Adam Peaty. For him, a victory without another world record can be considered inferior. Before the competition in Gwangju, he had already improved four times Cameron van der Burg’s achievement from South Africa, dropping more than a second from him.

The fact that Petey again beat the world record, it became clear even in the preliminary heats. He swam the distance in 57.59 seconds - for ordinary athletes such a time did not submit even in the finals. The remaining participants tried to swim out of 59 seconds, and many did not succeed. Among them were the Russians - the bronze medalist of the last World Cup, Kirill Prigoda, and the main favorite in the two-hundred-metering, Anton Chupkov. They took the ninth and tenth places, and both needed to be pressed in order not to stop at the semi-finals in the evening session.

With the release of the finals, the Russians still managed. Let the seconds worthy of medals failed to show again, Chupkov and Prigoda with the seventh and eighth time passed on. Petey did what everyone expected from him - the first in the history of 57 seconds came up. He recorded the result of 56.88 seconds, winning almost two seconds from the new Asian record holder Yan Zibei from China. The fate of gold in the 100-meter breaststroke is predetermined, but two other medals remain in the rally.

World Record - Adam Peaty 100m Breaststroke Semi Final to 56.88! All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV#FINAGwangju2019#Swimming#FINApic.twitter.com/iFdXAweCwb

Defeat of Ledecca

In women's competitions, the first event of the day was the first defeat of an American woman, Katie Ledeka, the queen of long distances in freestyle. In the heats of 400, 800 and 1500 meters she has always won since 2012, becoming during this time a five-time Olympic champion and 14-time world champion, at the same time breaking 14 world records.

Her winning streak lasted until 18-year-old Ariarn Tithmus from Australia broke into the elite of world navigation. She has all the best qualities that Ledecca brought gold, and also has an excellent finishing jerk, without which the American calmly overtook her rivals, who were slowed down by fatigue.

Although a swimmer from the United States won the preliminary swim at 400 meters freestyle, in the finals her usual plan to create a reserve for the last pool did not work. Titmus carefully pursued Ledeka and at the decisive moment escaped from behind her back, celebrating a sensational victory, of which there were two Russian women.

Legendary duel between Australia's Ariarne Titmus and Katie 400m Freestyle! Titmus overtaking Ledecky 3: 58.76. All the action live on 💻 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV#FINAGwangju2019#Swimming#FINApic.twitter.com/xknw7yMLxH

For the first time in history, two domestic swimmers made their way to the final of 400 meters. Veronika Andrusenko (nee Popov) and Anna Egorova went to the finals with the sixth and eighth results and eventually took the last two places, which is still the best indicator of Russian girls at the World Championships in Gwangju.

Women's failures

In the remaining women's disciplines, the Russians performed more modestly. In the 4 × 100 m relay, Darya Ustinova, Maria Kameneva, Sophia Lobova and Arina Opyonysheva showed the ninth time at the preliminary stage. Only 0.39 seconds separated them from participation in the final. The consolation for the girls was the license for the Olympics in Tokyo and the fact that the athletes from Russia for six years did not occupy such positions at the world championships. In the final victory was won by the Australian team, which beat the competition record.

In the 100m butterfly race, Svetlana Chimrova first took 13th place in the preliminary round, then improved her time in the semifinals, but not enough to stay in the fight for medals. For a 23-year-old swimmer, this result was a step backwards - two years ago she took the seventh place, and you could safely rely on her in the complex relay.

Finally, Victoria Belyakova became only 20th in the 200m complex voyage, not even reaching the semifinals. Former Russian woman Maria Ugolkova, representing Switzerland, ranked ninth at the end of the day. Hungarian Katinka Hossu in both heats was head and shoulders above all rivals, so her eighth victory at the World Championships can be considered a matter of time.

Kazan will again take the World Cup

Kazan also became a peculiar winner of the next competitive day. The International Swimming Federation announced that the capital of Tatarstan will host the world championships in water sports in 2025, ten years after the city had already organized such competitions.

The decision to grant Kazan such a right was made by the FINA Bureau unanimously. So far, the details of the Russian application are kept secret, but it is already known that swimming competitions can again be held at the Kazan Arena football stadium, which will help increase their attendance.

Kazan can hold the World Championships in water sports and in 2023, if Qatar, which is to organize the tournament, agrees to exchange dates. Also, the capital of Tatarstan will qualify to take the European Open Swimming Championships in 2021 and several competitions of the united European Championships.