Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Records continue to be broken in Abu Dhabi's FINA World Swimming Championships

Russian Swimming Federation’s Kliment Kolesnikov took the headlines on Sunday, Day 4 at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi as he won the 100m Individual Medley and the 50m Backstroke in 80 minutes, bringing his total to four medals here – and 15 in 2021, only majors considered.
The highly-anticipated clash of Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands and Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, two of the most decorated female swimmers who are also among the fastest ones in history, ended in the second-fastest effort ever in the 50m Butterfly as Kromowidjojo won in 24.44sec, reaching a never-before-seen speed in a textile suit, according to the Fédération Internationale de Natation website.

While China’s Li Bingjie added the 400m crown to her 800m title from yesterday, Shioban Haughey of Hong Kong China went on writing history by finishing third as she became the first woman in almost half a century to claim medals in the 100m-200m-400m Freestyle in the same championships.

Kliment Kolesnikov is a unique phenomenon in the world of swimming. A humble, ever-calm, ever-friendly athlete – all this besides being one of the best ones currently on the planet. Today he just offered something special again as he clinched two titles within 80 minutes, first in the 100m Individual Medley, then in the 50m Backstroke. His tally stands at four medals here, as he already had a gold in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay and a silver in the 100m Backstroke.

Today’s double reinforced Kolesnikov’s status among the top medal-collectors at the 2021 majors: he had three golds and a silver from the l/c Europeans from Budapest, a silver and a bronze from the Olympics, six more medals from the short-course European championship titles in Kazan - including three individual titles. With four more podiums here, his total stands at 15 - and counting.

He could have sat on cloud nine, or paraded through the mixed zone, throwing commonplaces at the media if stopping at all. Instead, he is the one, in the truly upper crust of world class athletes, who kindly chats with journalists after his first event rather than tell them that he’d come back after the second go-around through the media mixed zone as he still has more job to do.

"I am really happy, and I feel so free and comfortable, maybe thanks to the lot of races I had during the last few months" shared his thoughts after the 100m Individual Medley. "I enjoyed swimming together with my friends, and I congratulate all the guys."

Then, one and a half-hour later, he came through again and talked even longer to the Russian press, then answered all other questions as well. The one referring to his amazing 2021 medal hunt (15 podiums so far) surprised him.

"If you say so, you are probably right. Honestly, I’m not counting this," Kliment said. "I just love swimming, love to be ready and doing my races. I mean, it was really great to win these two events today, we are all tired here, it was a really tough season, with a lot of meets so if you win at the end of the year, that’s a pleasure."

What also makes Kliment unique among the others is his very visible necklace with a cross, worn all the time, during races as well. In a sport, where everything is about optimising your speed via shaving and wearing the best-aiding suits, this is a spectacular exception.

"Some told me in the past I may lose time because of that but only one referee tried to force me to put it down back at a junior Europeans – our team’s staff intervened so it remained in my neck. I never thought that it could affect my times, my performances. This is about my religion, my faith, so it never crossed my mind to swim without it."

As for the other stories of the day, a fantastic relay final kicked off the evening session. In the 4x50m Freestyle, an outstanding anchor leg by Alessandro Miressi secured the title for Italy (0.06 takeover time, followed by a 20.61 blast), while the next three hit the wall within 0.06sec, with the Russian Swimming Federation claiming the silver, ahead of the Netherlands. The American men, leading at the halfway mark and still second before the last leg, left the pool empty-handed.

Next came one of the most awaited ‘duel in the pool’, featuring two of the fastest females this sport has ever seen. Dutchwoman Ranomi Kromowidjojo took on Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom in the 50m Butterfly and this time it was Kromowidjojo who touched in first, 0.07sec ahead of her arch-rival to retain her title from 2018. Her 24.44 is the second-fastest swim ever, a Championship Record, with only Sweden’s Therese Alshammar’s world record (24.36) from 2009 better than this, captured at the height of the shiny-suit era. The USA’s Claire Curzan took the bronze en route to setting the junior world record (24.55).

"One more to go to catch up Katinka," Ranomi said on her quest to pass Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu on the all-time medal-ranks (it’s 27-26 as of now). "This is my personal best, only Therese (Alshammar) could swim faster than this. It’s somewhat owed to Sarah as she always makes the races tough for me. The world record was also in my vision. I was close but never mind – a gold and a lifetime best is pretty much enough, for sure."

In the women’s 100m Individual Medley, Israeli Anastasia Gorbenko proved to be in her own class again. The 18-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough season: she won the 200m Individual Medley at the long-course European Championships in May, repeated that feat at the short course Europeans in Kazan and now captured her second title here after triumphing in the 50m Breaststroke. Oh, and she also bagged three golds at the Berlin leg of the World Cup series.

There was no doubt that China’s Li Bingjie would grab the 400m title after her overwhelming win in the 800m a day earlier. She was the only one in the field whose splits remained under 30sec in all but one leg as she went on to win comfortably by a 2.04sec advantage over her nearest rival.

"This is a great win which I kind of expected," Li said, even offering a great smile while talking. "I was a bit tired after the 800m, but a good sleep helped me to get ready for today and I’m really happy with this gold medal and with the time too."
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
×