Hungarian Championships Underway In Final Qualification Bid For Short-Course Worlds Next Month In Budapest

The Hungarian Short-Course Championships got under way in Kaposvar ahead of next month’s short-course worlds in Budapest.

Ajna Kesely and Vivien Jackl dead-heated on the opening night in the 1500 free, going stroke stroke for the entire race before touching in 16:03.83.

Kesely is still the only Hungarian woman inside 16 minutes with her 15:51.34 national record set en-route to bronze at last year’s European Short-Course Championships in Otopeni, Romania with Jackl now third-swiftest in an age group record.

Kesely returned on Thursday to take the 400 free in 4:07.33 ahead of Nikolett Padar (4:08.81) and Boglarka Kapas (4:09.27).

Nandor Nemeth was the only man to break the 47-second barrier in the 100 free, going 46.84 for victory with Panna Ugrai winning the women’s equivalent in 53.29 to Padar’s 53.54 as well as claiming the 50 back title in 27.55. Eszter Békési won the 100m breaststroke in 1:08.07.

Gabor Zombori (1:57.65) and Kapas (2:11.98) won the men’s and women’s 200IM respectively.

Bence Szentes took the men’s 50 back (24.11) with Dávid Horváth winning the 100 breaststroke (59.59) and Máté Hartmann the 1500 in 14:57.89.

On Thursday, 15-year-old Oliver Papai posted a PB of 3:45.16 to win the 400 free in an age group record. Papai held off Nandor Negy who won silver in 3:45.22 while Olympic 10k champion Kristof Rasovszky took bronze bronze in 3:45.82.

Richard Marton won the 200 fly in 1:53.12, Adam Jaszo took the 100 back (51.46) and Szebasztian Szabo claimed the 50 free in 21.49.

Laura Ilyés held off the fast-finishing Kapas to win the 200 fly in 2:08.24, Ugrai added the 100 back to her 100 free title in 58.67 while Petra Senanszky and Kiara Victoria Pozvai shared the women’s 50 free in 24.89.