LEN European Junior Swimming Championships, Bucharest (ROU) – Day 4 Second individual title for Popovici, Masiuk and Efimova, two golds for Vergnes

 

The specialists all added a second individual title for their respective treasuries and are also getting ready to complete a treble in the same stroke in the 100m events. Romania’s David Popovici won the 50m free after his triumph in the 200m, while Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk won the 200m back after the 50m, just like Estonia’s Eneli Efimova in the women’s breaststroke. Daniel Gracik claimed the first title for the Czechs, while Lucien Vergnes snatched two golds in this session, came first in the 200m breast, then was part of France’s winning mixed medley relay.

David Popovici cleared the trickiest hurdle on his way to repeat his Rome 2021 treble – the 50m offered the best chance for the others to catch him as anything can happen over one length. But the home star didn’t make any mistake and came home first with a convincing 0.4sec margin, thus he needs to add the 100m crown to complete his mission.

Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk is on the same path in the backstroke – the Polish had made the 100-200m double in Rome and had been silver medallist in the 50m (where he won bronze two weeks ago among the seniors at the World Champs). Now he waited for his moment in the 200m final and his fiery finish left no chance for his rivals, at the end he gained a full second on the others.

Camp Treble may welcome a female as well: Eneli Efimova also had three medals a year ago (bronze in 50m, gold in 100m, silver in 200m) – now she is 2/2 as she managed to out-touch the title-holder from France, Justine Delmas. It was a brilliant duel, a year ago almost three seconds separated the two competitors, now only 0.01sec, and luck sided with Efimova.

The French took the men’s title in the 200m breast, Lucien Vergnes played the chasers’ role perfectly, came from behind to lead the race only once, over the very last metre. He pipped Austria’s Luka Mladenovic for the title by 0.19sec.

Hungary also had its ‘daily’ gold to keep up with the hosts on the top of the medal charts (these two have 4 apiece as of now) – Dora Molnar earned it, in the 200m back, with a fine and smart performance (it’s the third title for her as she was part of the Magyars’ winning relays).

Daniel Gracik grabbed the Czechs’ first medal here, a gold, as he was outstanding in the 100m fly. Michal Piela contributed with a gold to Poland’s remarkable day – his team bagged four medals in total. Swimming on lane 1, Piela did a splendid job in the 400m IM to add a gold to the bronze he had clinched in the 200m 24hrs earlier to defy the demanding schedule (usually medley swimmers don’t have to compete in the two events on back-to-back days).

The French grabbed a second gold this evening in the mixed medley relay – Lucien Vergnes covered the breaststroke leg so he could stand on the top of the podium for the second time in one and a half hours. The results were announced after a long review but at the end runner-up Poland and third placed Italy were both disqualified. As a matter of interest, the Polish were also DSQd in the morning, but were later reinstated as the review proved that their last takeover was within the limit (–0.02). Still, they couldn’t escape their fate in the evening when apparently a violation of swimming technique rules cost them the medal, just in case of the Italians.

For detailed results, visit http://ejcotopeni2022.microplustiming.com

 

Quotes

Daniel Gracik (CZE), gold, 100m fly

“When I looked up at the board, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The time, the No. 1 in front of my name, it was incredible… I mean, this is the first time ever I went under 53sec, which is amazing. I expected a medal, I even thought of gold, and I kept believing in myself. Perhaps that’s how I managed to achieve this.”

 

Lucien Vergnes (FRA), gold, 200m breast

“This was my plan, to have a really strong finish… Well, it wasn’t easy, and it turned out to be a very small margin at the end but I’m really happy that I could make it. Well, my time… This is crazy, my best was above 2:15, it’s simply amazing (to clock 2:13.02). I cannot be any happier now.”

 

David Popovici (ROU), gold, 50m free

“I was focusing on winning too much that’s why I messed up my finish. I must keep focusing on the race, on my swim, this was another good lesson in that regard. Otherwise, I enjoyed it, it was exciting, as always with the 50m.”

 

Eneli Efimova (EST), gold, 200m breast

“I was a bit emotional at the end as it was a very-very hard race. Honestly, 200m is not the distance fitting me the best, but I was just fighting all the way. I could clock my personal best, which is great. My coach knew that I was good enough to have a chance in this event, we made a plan and it worked, with some luck at the end.”

 

Ksawery Masiuk (POL), gold, 200m back

“Oh, it was really tough, after the first 100m I felt the pain already but for the last 50m it all went away as I was focusing only on my speed which really hit the right gear… I think I turned second but I felt I was really going. Before the race I told my friend Filip (Kosinski, bronze medallist) that I just wanted to do a sub-1:58 – and I went under 1:57, that’s absolutely amazing!”

 

Dora Molnar (HUN), gold, 200m back

“I didn’t lead over the first 150m, but I was aware of that and prepared myself for the big finish. I know I’m strong in the underwater dolphin kicks and I relied on that and on my strong last 50m. I’m really happy with this result especially because last year I could only swim in relays, I couldn’t qualify in individual events, but now I’m here and it’s awesome to stand on the top of the podium.”

 

Michal Piela (POL), gold, 400m IM

“In the morning I tried to save as much energy as possible since we had no off-day after the 200m IM final we had swum yesterday. This put me into a bit scary position as I qualified only for lane 1, so I decided to push a bit harder in the first half and I felt it went well, I had enough energy left for the second half, especially for the free. I hoped for a bit better time but with no rest between the 200m and 400m this is still great – and I try do a better one at the Worlds in Peru.”

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