Evgeniia Chikunova, Ilya Borodin Headline Russian Star Power Headed To SC Worlds As Neutrals

2024 SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

There was an unexpectedly large group of Russian swimmers confirmed to be competing at the 2024 Short Course World Championships when the entries were released on Thursday, including some of the best the nation has to offer.

Highlighting the list of 28 Russians is world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova, who was vocal against the idea of competing as a neutral athlete prior to the Olympics in Paris, where Evgenii Somov was the lone Russian to compete as an individual neutral athlete.

Chikunova’s entry sets up a showdown between her and American Kate Douglass in the women’s 200 breaststroke, with Chikunova owning the long course world record at 2:17.55, and Douglass, after winning Olympic gold in Paris, has broken and then re-broken the short course world record on the World Cup circuit.

Douglass brought the world record down to 2:12.72 just over a month ago in Singapore, while Chikunova’s European Record sits at 2:14.70 from November 2022. At last month’s Russian SC Championships, she went 2:17.89.

Chikunova also won the 50 breast (29.74) and 100 breast (1:04.07) at the Russian SC Championships, seeding her 7th and 4th, respectively, heading into the meet.

One of the other imminent world title threats coming to Budapest from Russia is Ilya Borodin, the male medley specialist who is a two-time European champion in the 400 IM.

Borodin, 21, owns the European Record in the SCM 400 IM (3:56.47), a time he set en route to winning silver at the 2021 SC World Championships in Abu Dhabi.

His entry puts Daiya Seto‘s legendary run of six straight world titles in the 400 IM in serious jeopardy, especially with Seto reportedly dealing with a broken rib in the lead-up (and still planning on racing).

Borodin is currently on incredible form, having set a best time of 1:52.75 in the 200 IM and a world-leading time of 3:57.67 in the 400 IM last month at the Russian SC Championships.

Other notable Russian entries as individual neutrals at the meet include world record holder Kirill Prigoda, Olympic medalist Yuliya Efimova and World Championship medalist Andrei Minakov.

Prigoda, the current world record holder in the men’s 200 breast, put up times of 25.65 in the 50 breast, 55.95 in the 100 breast and 2:01.85 in the 200 breast at the Russian SC Championships, making him a title contender across the board.

Belarusian Ilya Shymanovich, who has competed as an individual neutral numerous times over the past 12 months, edged out Prigoda in the 100 breast in Russia, clocking 55.91.