Night one of racing at the ninth World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships is headlined by two big individual events as the best junior swimmers in the world race off for the first junior world titles on offer in Netanya.

Men's 400m Freestyle | WJ Record Holder Mitsin has Some Company

Current world junior record holder Petar Petrov Mitsin was impressive in his heat of the Men’s 400m Freestyle doing just enough to swim through as the fastest qualifier with a 3:50.52.

“It was a comfortable swim, I’m saving myself for this evening where I hope to make a good swim,” Mitsin told World Aquatics after his heat.

“I’m feeling good and I hope to keep feeling this way for the rest of the competition.”

Image Source: Ragaini competes at the 2022 World Junior Swimming Championships in Lima, Peru. (Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images)

Italy’s Alessandro Ragaini will swim alongside Mitsin in lane five this evening after posting 3:50.65 and finishing a close second to the Bulgarian in the final heat. Canada’s Lorne Wigginton was the big surprise of the morning heats, clocking 3:50.72 from lane one in the second last heat and stripping more than three seconds from his entry time in the process.

Women's 400m IM | Hayes and Bognar has USA 1-2 Going Into the Finals

Tonight’s other individual final will see the United States of America’s Leah Hayes take on a growing field of emerging junior swimmers in the Women’s 400m Individual Medley.

Hayes went 4:41.49 in this morning’s final heat going ‘one-two’ with teammate Lilla Bognar.

“It felt alright, it’s a morning swim so I’m just getting into the rhythm of it,” Hayes told World Aquatics after her heat.

“It’s the first race of the meet, I’m happy with it. There are some things I can improve on, but I’m really excited that my teammate is right behind me and I’m excited to go into the finals with her tonight.”

"I’m really excited that my teammate is right behind me and I’m excited to go into the finals with her tonight.”
By Leah Hayes

Bognar qualified third for tonight’s final with a 4:44.90, with Canada’s Ella Christina Jansen (4:44.26) and Julie Brousseau (4:45.66) qualifying in second and fourth respectively.

Freestyle Relays | Italy Men Fastest, Australians Quickest on the Women's Side

Night one also opens with two relay finals with Italy going through fastest in the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay (3:18.57), and Australia the quickest from the heats in the Women’s 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay (7:59.36).

Four semi-finals round out tonight’s racing with the fastest swimmers from this morning’s heats Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova in the Women’s 50m Breaststroke (30.19), Czechia’s Miroslav Knedla in the Men’s 100m Backstroke (54.17), United States of America’s Watson Nguyen in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke (1:01.60) and Erika Pelaez in the Women’s 100m Backstroke (1:00.06).

Day 1 | Finals Session for Monday, 4 September

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