Russian swimmer Kornev, 22, has recorded times of 21.12 and 21.06 in the 50-meter freestyle, sitting just 18 hundredths of a second off Cameron McEvoy's world record. With these times, the young athlete is shaping up as a real threat at the upcoming European Championships, where he will look to make the definitive leap.
Technical analysis: start and turns as keys to progress 🏊
Kornev's leap is explained by improvements in his start, where he has reduced his reaction time to 0.58 seconds. Additionally, his stroke rate has been optimized to 54 cycles per minute, maintaining a length of 2.1 meters per stroke. The use of next-generation polyurethane suits and altitude training in the Urals have been determining factors. However, his weak point remains the underwater phase, where he loses up to 0.3 seconds compared to McEvoy.
The Russian who swims like a duck, but flies on the surface 🦆
The best part is that Kornev, according to his coach, doesn't know why he is so fast. He says he gets tired by the third lap and that sometimes he forgets to breathe. But there he is, a breath away from the record. If McEvoy doesn't get his act together, he might end up watching the wake of a Russian who, to top it off, confesses that he hates waking up early to train. Swimming, folks, is a sport of contradictions.