After setting a pair of new National Records at the opening stop of the 2021 FINA World Cup in Berlin, 20-year-old Slovenian Katja Fain carried that momentum into the second leg of the circuit in Budapest, re-lowering her national mark in the women’s 200 freestyle (SCM).
In Berlin, Fain swam to a time of 1:54.38, downing her previous Slovenian Record of 1:54.73 set in December 2020, and placing second to Australian Madi Wilson (1:54.00).
Battling head-to-head with Wilson once again in Budapest, Fain sliced just over a tenth off her best time to reset the record in 1:54.25, with Wilson just under two-tenths quicker than she was at the first stop to win in 1:53.82.
Fain split the race virtually identically over the first 100 meters in her two record swims, but really made her move on the third 50 in Budapest, throwing down a 29.09 split to be over three-tenths faster than she was in Berlin.
In her 1:54.73 swim from December, she was more aggressive on the opening 50 but slower the rest of the way.
Split Comparison
Fain, December
Fain, Berlin
Fain, Budapest
26.86
27.20
27.20
29.26 (56.12)
29.14 (56.34)
29.16 (56.36)
29.51 (1:25.63)
29.43 (1:25.77)
29.09 (1:25.45)
29.10 (1:54.73)
28.61 (1:54.38)
28.80 (1:54.25)
A 2021 Slovenian Olympian, Fain also set a new National Record in the women’s 200 butterfly at the Berlin stop, clocking 2:07.04 to finish third and break the 11-year-old record of 2:07.97 set by Anja Klinar in 2010.
Fain also took fourth in the 200 IM (2:10.16) in Berlin, and through the first two days of competition in Budapest, she’s also claimed fifth in the women’s 400 free (4:03.52). She holds the National Record in that event, set in January 2019, at 4:01.79.
Fain was one of three swimmers to represent Slovenia at the Tokyo Olympic Games, placing 15th in the women’s 400 IM (4:44.66), 26th in the 800 free (8:41.13) and 30th in the 1500 free (16:35.92).
At the 2017 European Junior Championships, she was the bronze medalist in the women’s 400 free, producing a time of 4:11.36 at just 16 years of age.
Originally posted on SwimSwam.com. Click here to Read More.