Lana Pudar achieved another landmark
moment in her fledging, but already highly decorated, career by retaining her
European Junior Swimming Championship 200m butterfly title and setting a new
continental junior record in the process.
The 17-year-old, who won the 100m
title in a championship record on day three, secured her second gold of
Belgrade 2023 with victory in two minutes 6.26 seconds, which was 0.45 secs
under the previous landmark time.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina swimmer
was joined on the podium by German Alina Baievych (2:10.78) and Glenda
Abonyi-Toth of Hungary (2:11.61).
Pudar is now targeting a clean-sweep
of the butterfly titles when she takes on the 50m final on Sunday – a race she
won at last year’s edition in Romania.
“It’s a really special feeling to
achieve this time,” she told LEN after the race.
“Last year I won two golds, one
silver and swam pretty well, but now I’m in better form and I really want to
achieve three gold medals in three butterfly events.
The teenager continued; “That’s my
goal and I guess I’m doing it, I think!”
Pudar was not the only swimming to
break a record on the penultimate night of racing.
Distance specialist Petar Mitsin of
Bulgaria set a new European Junior Championship record in the 800m freestyle
final, with his time of 7:47.45 well inside the previous mark of 7:51.20 set at
the 2021 edition of the competition in Rome, Italy.
He was joined on the podium by
Vlad-Stefan Stancu of Romania (7:49.68), who followed up 1500m silver with
another second, and the 1500m champion – Turkiye’s Kuzey Tuncelli – who this
time took third, after finishing in 7:52.39.
The women’s 800m freestyle was won
for the third European Junior Swimming Championships in a row by of Merve
Tuncel of Turkiye, who recorded a time of in 8:35.10.
The 18-year-old senior European
bronze medallist, is competing in her final European Juniors and after winning
the 1500m event earlier in the week she will look to complete the
‘triple-triple’ by adding the 400m title to her collection on Sunday.
German duo Mariana Ploeger (8:36.55)
and Julia Ackermann (8:36.85) completed the 800m podium.
The last race action of day five saw
the men battle it out for the 4x200m freestyle relay title.
It was a fascinating final to
witness, but Italy always had an element of control and their quartet of
Alessandro Ragaini, Carols D’Ambrosio, Federioc Mao and Filippo Bertoni would
secure a further gold for their nation, who have enjoyed an impressive
championship.
They currently lead the overall medal
standings with a total of 15 honours, seven of which are gold.
However, the final night of action at
Belgrade 2023 will see athletes battle it out for medals in 12 finals in the
Serbian capital, giving hope to other nations such as Hungary who are close
behind on 10 medals (six gold). Germany and Great Britain have eight medals
each.
RESULTS AND REACTION TO EJSC 2023 –
DAY 5
WOMEN’S 200M JUNIOR BUTTERFLY FINAL:
GOLD – Lana Pudar (2:06.26) – Bosnia
and Herzegovina (European Junior record)
SILVER – Alina Baievych (2:10.78) –
Germany
BRONZE – Glenda Abonyi-Toth (2:11.61)
– Hungary
“Wow, it’s a really special feeling,”
Lana Pudar told LEN. “I’m so happy and excited after the 100m which was a
championship record and now this which is my second personal best this week.
I’m so proud of myself. Last year I won two golds, one silver and swam pretty well,
but now I’m in better form and I really want to achieve three gold medals in
three butterfly events.”
WOMEN’S 100M JUNIOR FREESTYLE FINAL:
GOLD – Smilte Plytnykaite (55.31) –
Lithuania
SILVER – Sara Curtis (55.35) – Italy
BRONZE – Dora Molnar (55.56) –
Hungary
"I can't believe it,” Smilte
Plyntnykaite told LEN. “This is my first medal at European Junior
Championships! I can't be more happier! Thank you for the support, what I got
from my parents, team and friends. It surprised me very much! I was not thinking
before that I could win a medal, because I did not believe I can swim as
fast!"
MEN’S 800M JUNIOR FREESTYLE FINAL:
GOLD – Petar Mitsin (7:47.45) –
Bulgaria (European Junior Championship record)
SILVER – Vlad-Stefan Stancu (7:49.68)
– Romania
BRONZE – Kuzey Tuncelli (7:52.39) –
Turkiye
"I think it's a very good
performance,” Petar Mitsin told LEN. “I was so tired on my last 200m, but I
gave out everything. I'm happy with my swim and with my result. I didn't expect
this time, I so happy that I cannot explain it."
WOMEN’S 800M JUNIOR FREESTYLE FINAL:
GOLD – Merve Tuncel (8:35.10) –
Turkiye
SILVER – Marian Ploeger (8:36.55) –
Germany
BRONZE – Julia Ackermann (8:36.85) –
Germany
“I’m very happy with this result,”
Merve Tuncel told LEN. “It’s my last European Junior Championships and tomorrow
I have my last race, the 400m freestyle and so I hope I can win that too!”
MEN’S 4x200M JUNIOR FREESTYLE FINAL:
GOLD – Italy (7:17.42) – Alessandro
Ragaini, Carlos D’Ambrosio, Federico Mao, Filippo Bertoni.
SILVER – France
BRONZE – Turkiye
"Before the race we were talking
about that we can't start very aggressively, because we will be completely
destroyed on the last 50 meters,” Federico Mao of Italy told LEN. “It was a
mental game and we’re so happy with the victory.”
"I swam the 800m free 10 minutes
ago, so I'm extremely tired, but for the relay, for the team I tried to push as
hard as I can,” Filippo Bertoni of Italy told LEN. “We are not a team, we are a
FAMILY! We created a great group so everybody is supporting each other!"
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