RSCSC2017: Aleksandr Popkov tops the podium

The final day of the Russian Short Course Swimming Championships in Kazan featured preliminary, semifinal, and final competitions which revealed the candidates for the Russian national team.

Men's 50m butterfly

Nothing unexpected happened at this event. The main favourite finished first, leaving Oleg Kostin second, who also set the new European record in the men's 100m breaststroke. Both swimmers qualified for the Europeans

1. Aleksandr Popkov (Saint Petersburg-1) – 22.50.

2. Oleg Kostin (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast) – 22.67.

3. Aleksandr Sadovnikov (Kaliningrad Oblast) – 22.86.

"I wanted to beat the Russian best time and did not think much of the timing and podium spots. I may have qualified and showed the time good enough for it, but I still didn't perform as well as I could. I can and I will swim faster. I am sure it will get better at the Europeans," said the champion after the swim.

"It's not even the technique that matters much. I guess it's more about the mood you're in and the emotions. It is hard to get ready for a number of starts. But this is my job, so I need to do it no matter what," he added.

Women's 200m individual medley

Nobody qualified for the European championships in this event. The Russian record holder, Yuliya Yefimova, pulled out from the competition due to the injury.

1. Viktoriya Andreyeva (Penza Oblast-1) – 2:09.01. 

2. Irina Krivonogova (Samara Oblast-1) – 2:10.23.

3. Kristina Vershinina (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug — Yugra) – 2:10.34.

Viktoriya admitted that she didn't expect to to swim so well:

"To say the truth, I didn't even prepare for the tournament. My priority was a longer distance which I will swim as a part of the CSKA team at the Army Games. Here it was only a training for me. Taking into account these factors, I swam pretty well."

"I rarely swim the quarters. Wall push-offs are not my strongest points. I am more into long olympic courses," she added.

Andreeva also commented on the pull off of Yefimova and wished her to recover soon:

"Yuliya Yefimova has an injury. Sure it would be more interesting to compete with her. I don't know who would win in this case. It is sports and you should take care of your health. We all wait for her to come back. I hope everything will be OK."

Mixed 4x50m medley relay

1. Moscow-1 (Kliment Kolesnikov, Katarina Milutinovic, Vladislav Grinev, Rozaliya Nasretdinova) – 1:31.63. 

2. Saint Petersburg-1 (Aleksandr Popkov, Daria Kartashova, Yevgeny Lagunov, Daria Ustinova) – 1:31.75.

3. Novosibirsk Oblast-1 (Aleksandr Kliukin, Arina Surkova, Dmitry Lapshin, Natalya Kliukinа) – 1:32.21.

Rozaliya Nasretdinova didn't give a straight answer on the question about what was more valuable to her: new Russian record or gold in the medley relay:

"I think the national record is more important, after all. It is a historic achievement, a milestone! I wouldn't even think of it: records in the semi-final are rare. Now the task is not to lose this concentration before the tomorrow's finals. I may have set the record, fine, but I still need the medal. The gold medal. As the records come and go, and the titles remain."