World Junior Championships, Day 3 Finals: Ukraine’s Nikita Sheremet Ties 50 Free WJR
Nikita Sheremet of Ukraine blasted a time of 21.75 seconds in the semifinals of the men’s 50 freestyle on Thursday at the World Junior Championships. That ties the world junior record and meet record, both set in 2017 by American Michael Andrew.
It sets the Ukrainian teen up as the favorite for the final on Friday, and it was the first of two records Thursday in Otopeni, Romania. All the action from the third finals session.
Women’s 50 butterfly semifinals
Zoe Pedersen of New Zealand led the way in prelims with a time of 25.79, the only sub-26 swim. Mizuki Hirai of Japan was second in 26.02, with Jessica Thompson of South Africa third.
Mena Boardman of the U.S. made the final in sixth, but teammate Charlotte Crush was tied for ninth to miss out. Crush has the 200 back final later in the session.
Men’s 50 freestyle semifinals
Nikita Sheremet has had a very fast summer. He went 22.16, a best time, at the European Junior Championships and has quickly blasted past that with a pair of sub-22 swims.
In prelims Thursday morning, he and Great Britain’s Jacob Mills both broke 22 seconds. Sheremet was alone in doing that at night, with a time of 21.75 that evens what Michael Andrew did twice at this meet in 2017 in Indianapolis. The Ukrainian record is 21.38, set in 2024 by Vladyslav Bukhov.
Mills was a distant second in 22.05. Carlos D’Ambrosio is looking to add to his stellar meet. The Italian is the third seed in finals at 22.10. American Yury Kuzmenko scraped into the final in eighth, but the other American, Albert Smelzer, was 13th.
Of note is an African finalist in the 50, with Nigeria’s Abdul Jabar Adama going 22.32 to tie for sixth. He was 22.21 in prelims to set the national senior record.
Women’s 200 backstroke
Audrey Derivaux picked up her second gold medal of the meet with a time of 2:06.99 in the 200 back. She surged past American teammate Charlotte Crush in a 1-2 finish for the U.S.
Derivaux downed the meet record of 2:07.45 set by Regan Smith in 2017. Crush wasn’t far off that, in 2:07.83. She was more than two seconds clear of the field.
Neutral Athlete Milana Stepanova held off Canada’s Madison Kryger by .09 seconds for bronze. Argentina’s Cecilia Dieleke was sixth, another strong result for that country.
Men’s 100 butterfly
Tajus Juska made Lithuania the ninth different country to grab a gold medal at this meet, his time of 51.83 taking gold by .18 seconds. He held off a charge by Brazili’s Lucio Flavio de Paula Filho, who was fourth at the turn by closed fast in 27.63. He took second in 52.01.
Bronze went to Great Britain’s Dean Fearn, who went 52.33. Maxim Skazobtsov of Kazakhstan was fourth in 52.52.
The only American in the final, Rowan Cox, tied for fifth. He was eighth at the turn and came back in the fastest final 50 of the heat. But that 27.62 wasn’t enough to erase the early deficit, Cox finishing in 52.59.
Women’s 100 breaststroke semifinals
It could be two golds for Lithuania, if its female breaststroke strength comes good again. Smilte Plytnykaite set the pace again in the 100 breast, with a time of 1:07.64. She was .11 ahead of Germany’s Lena Ludwig, with Hayley Mackinder of Australia third.
The final doesn’t include an American, with Elle Scott finishing 10th and Kayda Geyer 14th.
Men’s 50 backstroke semifinals
Neutral Athlete Georgii Iakovlev led the way by a wide margin in the men’s 50 back, his time of 24.58 setting the top time by .44 seconds. He was just .14 seconds off the meet record set in 2022 by Ksawery Masiuk at 24.44.
The second seed in the final belongs to Daniele del Signore of Italy in 25.02. He was .03 seconds ahead of Henry Allan of Australia. The NAB squad has two finalists, with Mikhail Shcherbakov fourth.
Both Americans are through. Gavin Keough is the fifth seed in 25.16. Kenneth Barnicle was eighth in 25.50, into the final by just .06 seconds. John Shortt, the 100 back champ, was seventh.
Women’s 100 freestyle
Rylee Erisman’s hot streak in the 100 free continues with a gold medal. The American lowered her meet record again, going 52.79 to win gold by more than a second in an utterly dominant performance. She was just .09 seconds away from displacing Penny Oleksiak’s world junior record, set in the Olympic final in 2016 in Rio.
Erisman led a U.S. 1-2, with Lily King second in 54.19. King was third at the wall but came home in 28.02, the third-fastest of the race. She went 54.19 to outtouch Theodora Taylor of Great Britain by .01 seconds. Taylor’s 27.90 on the final 50 lifted her from fifth.
Kira Manokhina of the Neutral Athletes fell from second to fourth in 54.49. Luo Mingyu of China was fifth in 54.72.
Men’s 800 freestyle
Kuzey Tuncelli’s 400 free wasn’t what the Turkish Olympian would’ve wanted. The 800 was more normal.
The Olympic finalist in the 1,500 won the 800 in 7:46.52 on Thursday, a margin of 1.82 seconds. He was less than a second off Mack Horton’s world junior record from 2013.
Second place went to Kazushi Imafuku of Japan in 7:48.34. Grigorii Vekovishchev of the Neutral Athletes was third in 7:50.04.
Both Americans made the fastest heat but were just off the podium. Aiden Hammer finished fourth in 7:51.68. William Mulgrew of the U.S. was fifth in 7:51.99.
Mixed 400 freestyle relay
It was a quick turnaround for the American women’s sprinters, and boy did they deliver.
The U.S. was sixth when the men got out of the water, but 100 free gold medalist Rylee Erisman and silver medalist Lily King dragged hem up to the gold medal by .14 seconds over Great Britain in a time of 3:26.03.
Michael Rice was eighth after one leg, and Rowan Cox got the U.S. to sixth. Erisman split 53.11 to halve that placement. And King was the best of the anchors in 53.91 to get the U.S. to gold.
Great Britain was second at each of the last two handoffs, thanks to Jacob Mills splitting 47.76. Skye Carter and Theodora Taylor defended that on the women’s legs for a 3:26.17.
Italy had the heartbreak. The Italians led thanks to Carlos D’Ambrosio’s 47.40 on the second leg. Ludovica di Maria held the lead, but Alessandra Mao was run down on the anchor, the Italians getting third in 3:26.79. The Neutral Athletes were fourth, .90 off the gold.
