Nikoletta Padar claimed her third gold medal of the meet, Roos Vanotterdijk set a Belgian record of 57.85 in the women’s 100 fly and David Popovici went 22.17 in the 50 free semis at the European Junior Championships in Romania.
Vlad-Stefan Stancu became the second Romanian man to top the podium in solo events in Bucharest after Popovici when he won the 1500 free with his time of 15:05.47 toppling Dragos Coman‘s national mark that had stood since the 2004 Olympics.
Nina Sandrine Jazy won the women’s 50 free and Popovici was 0.05 swifter in setting the semi pace than his winning time at last year’s junior showcase.
Vanotterdijk was second, 0.67 behind defending champion Lana Pudar, at the halfway point of the 100 fly before overhauling the 16-year-old with a second 50 of 30.16 to win by 0.03.
Splitting 27.69/30.16, the 17-year-old claimed her second medal of the meet following her 50 back bronze.
It consigned to history Kimberley Buys‘ national standard of 57.91 from Rio 2016, a time she matched a year later at the national championships, with Vanotterdijk only the second Belgian woman inside 58.
Vanotterdijk’s time was also considerably swifter than the 58.44 in which Pudar came eighth at last month’s World Championships.
Pudar, of Bosnia and Herzegovina, touched in 57.88, 0.56 swifter than her time in the Budapest final and Julia Ullmann of Switzerland was third in 59.39.
Stancu Storms Home For National Record
Krzysztof Chmielewski – winner of the 200 fly – set the pace in the 1500 free final with Stancu tracking him.
The Romanian – who turns 17 next month – gradually ate into the deficit until the 1150 mark when he was just 0.16 adrift.
He made his move and led by 1200, moving away with a last 150 of 1min 26.99secs (27.80/29.34/29.85) guiding him past the mark of 15:06.33 held for almost 18 years by Coman.
Chmielewski was second in 15:13.46 with Emir Batur Albayrak of Turkey third home in 15:15.24.
Triple Gold For Padar; Jazy Atop The Podium
Padar made up a deficit of 3.27secs on leaders Italy as she guided Hungary to 4×2 gold with an anchor leg of 1:57.29 as the quartet went inside 8mins in 7:59.04, just 0.05 outside their own championship record of 7:58.99 set in 2017.
It was her third title in two nights after she defended her 200 free title and won the mixed free on Wednesday.
Italy were second in 8:08.93 with Britain taking bronze in 8:13.42.
Germany’s Jazy took the 50 free crown in 25.22 ahead of Romania’s Bianca Costea (25.34) and Sara Curtis of Italy (25.39).
There were no German women on the podium last year at the Foro Italico but this year’s meet so far indicates healthier times ahead.
Coming into the session they had already claimed two bronze medals through Julia Barth in the 1500 free and the 4×100 free relay, much down to Jazy who propelled them from fourth to third with a 54.65 anchor leg, the swiftest time in the field.
Sanberk Oktar led throughout to claim a dominant victory in the men’s 200IM, a year after fellow Turkish swimmer Berke Saka was crowned.
Splitting 26.25/56.57 (30.42)/1:32.15 (35.48) before coming home in 28.53 for a 2:00.68 victory, almost two seconds clear of Italian Simone Spediacci whose 29.01 final 50 propelled him from third to second.
Fifth at the final turn, Michal Piela turned on the turbos with a 28.91 last lap taking him into third in 2:02.77.
Semi-Final Round-Up
Popovici heads into Friday’s 50 free final in pole position and with Norbert Trandafir’s national record of 21.98 in his sights.
Trandafir, a three-time Olympian, set the record at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.
Behind him come Alex Painter of Britain (22.61) and Nans Mazellier of France in 22.66.
Ukrainian 16-year-old Oleksandr Zheltyakov went 1:58.30 to set the pace in the 200 back ahead of 50 champion Ksawery Masiuk (1:58.47) and Apostolos Sisokos of Greece (1:59.18).
Zheltyakov – who doesn’t turn 17 until November – set a national record of 1:57.18 at Hungarian Nationals in April.
He also holds the Ukrainian 100 back standard of 53.98 recorded en-route to silver at last year’s edition in Rome.
Dara Molnar – who turned 16 last week – qualified first for the women’s 200 back final in 2:11.24, the Hungarian booking lane four alongside Poland’s defending champion Laura Bernat who clocked 2:11.65, the pair the only women inside 2:12.
Just 0.06secs separates the top three qualifiers in the men’s 100 fly led by French pair Ethan Dumesnil (53.30) and Yohan Airaud (53.34) followed by Daniel Gracik of the Czech Republic (53.36).
Also through in fourth was 200 silver medallist Michal Chmielewski of Poland.
Justine Delmas led three women on 2:27 into the final as she seeks to defend her title in 2:27.00 ahead of Britain’s Sienna Robinson (2:27.52) and Defne Coskun (2:27.56).
Eneli Jefimova, last year’s silver medallist, was through in fourth.
Lucien Vergnes of France booked lane four in the men’s equivalent in 2:13.36 ahead of Britain’s George Smith (2:14.86) and Luka Mladenovic of Austria (2:14.87).
