2025 World Junior Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

By Spencer Penland on SwimSwam

2025 World Junior Swimming Championships

August 19-24, 2025
Otopeni, Romania
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DAY 1 PRELIMS HEAT SHEET

Welcome to the 2025 World Junior Championships in Otopeni, Romania! We’re in for an incredible week of racing amongst lots of the greatest junior swimmers on the earth. Let’s check out this morning’s occasion schedule:

TUESDAY MORNING PRELIMS EVENT SCHEDULE:

Boys 400 Freestyle
Women 50 Breaststroke
Boys 100 Backstroke
Women 400 IM
Boys 100 Breaststroke’
Women 100 Backstroke
Boys 4×100 Freestyle Relay
Women 4×200 Freestyle Relay

This morning’s prelims session is ready to be a reasonably lengthy one, clocking in at about 3.5 hours. One of the crucial thrilling occasions on at this time’s schedule is the ladies 100 again, the place American Charlotte Crush enters the meet simply 0.19 seconds off the championship file. Crush is available in with a 59.30, the one sub-1:00 entry time within the area.

Japan’s Shin Ohashi must be one other star of the day. Ohashi set the World Junior Report within the males’s 100 breast earlier this yr with a 58.94. Ohashi is entered slower than that, and he truly is available in because the 2nd seed. Nice Britain’s Filip Nowacki is the highest seed, coming in with a 59.59.

BOYS 400 FREESTYLE – PRELIMS

World Report: 3:39.96 – Lukas Maertens, GER (2025)
World Junior Report: 3:44.31 – Petar Mitsin, BUL (2023)
Championship Report: 3:46.06 – Gabor Zambori, HUN (2019)

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

Egor Babinich (NAB) – 3:49.72
Aiden Hammer (USA) – 3:49.74
Kazushi Imafuku (JPN) – 3:50.13
Grigorii Vekovishchev (NAB) – 3:50.19
Kuzey Tuncelli (TUR) – 3:50.77
Tex Cross (AUS) – 3:51.05
Johannes Liebmann (GER) – 3:51.43
Haibo Xu (CHN) – 3:51.47

The motion kicked off this week and this morning with the boys 400 free, the place NAB’s Egor Babinich posted the highest time with a 3:49.72. That was a powerful morning swim out of Babinich, who was entered with a 3:48.71.

American Aiden Hammer clocked a 3:49.74 for 2nd this morning, touching inside half a second of his private greatest. Hammer additionally pulled off a unfavourable cut up this morning, going 1:55.26 on the opening 200m, then coming dwelling in 1:54.48. The opposite American within the area, Norvin Clontz, got here in ninth this morning with a 3:51.86, lacking out on tonight’s closing.

Japan’s Kazushi Imafuku, who got here into the morning as the highest seed, was third in prelims with a 3:50.13. Imafuku has been as quick as 3:47.77, which nonetheless offers him a little bit of an edge heading into tonight’s closing.

GIRLS 50 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Report: 29.16 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2023)
World Junior Report: 29.30 – Benedetta Pilato, ITA (2021)
Championship Report: 30.19 – Eneli Jefimova, EST (2023)

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

Ralina Giliazova (NAB) – 30.89
Smilte Plytnykaite (LTU) – 31.11
Elle Scott (USA) – 31.16
Theodora Taylor (GBR) – 31.23
Rachel McAlpin (USA) – 31.25
Irene Burato (ITA) – 31.41
Lena Ludwig (GER) – 31.43
Hayley Mackinder (AUS) – 31.45
Madyson Hartway (CAN) – 31.50
Mikayla Tan (SGP) – 31.60
Lily Koch (AUS) – 31.68
Wui Kiu Man (HKG) – 31.78
Mia Franco (ITA) – 32.02
Pui Lam Chen (MAC) – 32.03
Yijing Wang (CHN) – 32.05 (TIE)
Pinar Donmez (TUR) – 32.05 (TIE)

NAB’s Ralina Giliazova had a wonderful swim in prelims of the ladies 50 breast this morning, cracking the 31-second barrier with a 30.89. That efficiency has earned her the highest seed for semifinals tonight.

The American duo of Elle Scott and Rachel McAlpin each made it by to semifinals comfortably, seeing Scott take third with a 31.16, whereas McAlpin was fifth in 31.25. Scott tied her profession greatest with the swim this morning.

Lithuania’s Smilte Plytnykaite got here in 2nd this morning with a 31.11. She chipped 0.09 seconds off her entry time with the swim.

Australia additionally noticed each their swimmers make it by to the semifinals, with Hayley Mackinder coming in eighth with a 31.45, whereas Lily Koch was eleventh in 31.68.

BOYS 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Report: 51.60 – Thomas Ceccon, ITA (2022)
World Junior Report: 52.08 – Miron Lifintsev, NAB (2024)
Championship Report: 52.91 – Ksawery Masiuk, POL (2022)

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

Henry Allan (AUS) – 54.15
Gavin Keogh (USA) – 54.18
Georgii Iakovlev (NAB) – 54.27
John Shortt (IRL) – 54.39
Tudor Iordache (ROU) – 54.83
Aukan Goldin (ISR) – 54.84
Daniele del Signore (ITA) – 54.90
Liam Carrington (TTO) –
Jack Morrow (AUS) – 55.20
Collin Holgerson (USA) – 55.28
Olivier Urbaniak (POL) – 55.35
Lev Shteinberg (ISR) – 55.49
Parker Deshayes (CAN) – 55.54
Mark Shibanov (NAB) – 55.75
Toya Hirata (JPN) – 55.82
Matteo Venini (ITA) – 55.86

Whereas males’s backstroke has been a slight weak level for Australia on the senior stage over latest years, issues are wanting nice on the junior entrance for the Aussies. Henry Allan led prelims this morning in 54.15, touching inside half a second of his profession greatest 53.73. Allan confirmed off some spectacular early pace this morning, going 25.66 on the opening 50m, marking the one 1st cut up underneath 26 seconds on this morning’s area.

On prime of Allan, Australia’s Jack Morrow additionally made it by to semifinals tonight with a 55.20, which was good for ninth.

American Gavin Keogh was 2nd this morning in 54.18, touching simply off his profession better of 53.83. Keogh has the next-fastest opening 50 cut up behind Allan this morning, clocking a 26.01 on the first lap. The US additionally noticed Collin Holgerson advance to semifinals, taking tenth in 55.28.

Georgii Iakovlev (NAB) was third this morning, swimming a 54.27. Iakovlev got here into the morning as the highest seed with a 53.65.

GIRLS 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – PRELIMS

World Report: 4:23.65 – Summer time McIntosh, CAN (2025)
World Junior Report: 4:24.38 – Summer time McIntosh, CAN (2024)
Championship Report: 4:36.84 – Leah Hayes, USA (2023)

TOP 8 QUALIFIERS:

Agostina Hein (ARG) – 4:37.87
Audrey Derivaux (USA) – 4:39.86
Misuzu Nagaoka (JPN) – 4:41.78
Amalie Smith (GBR) – 4:42.29
Shuna Sasaki (JPN) – 4:43.36
Vivien Jackl (HUN) – 4:43.69
Kayla Han (USA) – 4:43.97
Amelie Smith (AUS) – 4:47.19

Argentina’s Agostina Hein had an enormous efficiency this morning within the ladies 400 IM, clocking a 4:37.87. With the swim, Hein shredded her earlier greatest by over 3 seconds and led the sector this morning by 2 seconds. Moreover, Hein simply missed the Argentine Report by 0.36 seconds. That file has stood since 2004 and he or she’ll have one other probability to interrupt it tonight.

American Audrey Derivaux additionally had an enormous efficiency this morning, swimming a 4:39.86 for 2nd. Derivaux got here into the morning with a better of 4:41.39. She was good throughout the board this morning however was notably nice on backstroke, the place she cut up a field-leading 1:08.93.

The opposite American within the area, Kayla Han, got here in seventh with a 4:43.97 this morning, additionally advancing to tonight’s closing. Han was glorious on the free leg of the race this morning, splitting 1:04.47.

Japan additionally noticed each its swimmers advance to finals tonight, with Misuzu Nagaoka taking third in 4:41.78, whereas Shuna Sasaki was fifth with a 4:43.36.

BOYS 100 BREASTSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Report: 56.88 – Adam Peaty, GBR (2019)
World Junior Report: 58.94 – Shin Ohashi, JPN (2025)
Championship Report: 59.01 – Nicolo Martinenghi, ITA (2017)

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS:

Shin Ohashi (JPN) – 59.64
Filip Nowacki (GBR) – 59.84
Oliver Dawson (CAN) – 1:00.28
Evengelos Ntoumas (GRE) – 1:00.43
Oleg Plotnikov (NAB) – 1:00.49
Junteng Wang (CHN) – 1:00.51
Gabe Nunziata (USA) – 1:00.57
Jan Grafe (GER) – 1:00.66
Jan Gajda (POL) – 1:01.07
Max Morgan (GBR) – 1:01.08
Nikita Batuev (NAB) – 1:01.11
Kaua Santos Carvalho (BRA) – 1:01.44
Darius-Stefan Coman (ROU) – 1:01.52
Nusrat Allahverdi (TUR) – 1:01.53
Andrew Eubanks (USA) – 1:01.57
Mark Teler (ISR) – 1:01.63

Japan’s Shin Ohashi led the way in which within the boys 100 breast this morning, swimming a 59.64. The swim marks a really strong morning efficiency, coming in simply off his profession better of 58.94, which additionally stands because the World Junior Report within the occasion. Ohashi had the quickest opening 50 within the area this morning, clocking a 28.01.

Filip Nowacki (Nice Britain) was proper behind Ohashi this morning, taking 2nd general with a 59.84. Like Ohashi, Nowacki was simply off his private better of 59.59.

Canada’s Oliver Dawson rounded out the highest 3 this morning, swimming a 1:00.28.

GIRLS 100 BACKSTROKE – PRELIMS

World Report: 57.13 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
World Junior Report: 57.57 – Regan Smith, USA (2019)
Championship Report: 59.11 – Regan Smith, USA (2017)

TOP 16 QUALIFIERS: