Denis Loktev

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Denis Loktev
דניס לוקטב

| image = Denis Loktev 11 (cropped) (cropped).jpg

| caption =

| fullname =

| nationality = Israeli

| strokes = freestyle

| club = Maccabi Ashdod

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|4|6|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Ashdod, Israel

| collegeteam = University of Louisville

| coach = Arthur Albiero (Louisville)

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| show-medals = yes

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{ISR}}}}

}}

Denis Loktev ({{langx|he|דניס לוקטב}}; born 6 April 2000) is an Israeli Olympic swimmer.{{cite web|url=https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/israels-youth-olympic-team-brings-home-three-medals/ |title=Israel's Youth Olympic team brings home three medals |work=The Times of Israel |date=23 October 2018 |accessdate=21 July 2019}} He won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in the men's 200m freestyle, as well as the 2018 European Junior Swimming Championship in the men's 4x200m freestyle. He competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics for Israel in the 200m freestyle, and represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 200 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and 4×200 metre freestyle relay.

Early and personal life

Loktev was born in Ashdod, Israel where he continued to reside.{{Cite web|url=https://gocards.com/sports/swimming-and-diving/roster/denis-loktev/13962|title=Denis Loktev - Swimming & Diving|website=University of Louisville Athletic}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcolympics.com/athletes/denis-loktev-1410398|title=Denis Loktev|website=NBC Olympics}} On 7 October 2023, in the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, his family in Ashdod was hit by rocket barrages from Gaza in the 7 October attacks.{{Cite web|url=https://www.one.co.il/Article/449967.html|title=לוקטב: שחיין מצרי שגרתי עמו ממש תומך בחמאס|date=25 November 2023|website=ONE - מספר אחת בספורט}}

Swimming career

Loktev started swimming when he was six years old, in the Maccabi Ashdod Association, swimming twice a week, and began swimming daily by the age of seven.{{Cite web|url=https://www.frogi.co.il/news/sport/18149|title=מגזין - על קו הזינוק: הכירו את השחיין דניס לוקטב|date=13 October 2016|website=פרוגי}}{{Cite web|url=https://ashdodnet.com/%d7%a1%d7%a4%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%98/%d7%94%d7%a9%d7%97%d7%99%d7%99%d7%9f-%d7%94%d7%90%d7%a9%d7%93%d7%95%d7%93%d7%99-%d7%93%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%a1-%d7%9c%d7%a7%d7%98%d7%95%d7%91-%d7%99%d7%94%d7%99%d7%94-%d7%91%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%90%d7%93%d7%94-546567|title=השחיין האשדודי דניס לקטוב ישתתף באולימפיאדה|website=Ashdod Net|date=November 6, 2023}} He has competed in the 100m freestyle, 100m medley, 200m free, 400m free, 4x100m free, 4x100m free mixed, 4x200m free, 4x200m free, and 4x50m free.{{Cite web|url=https://www.the-sports.org/denis-loktev-swimming-spf451612.html|title=Swimming - Denis Loktev (Israel)|website=the-sports.org}} He trained at the Wingate Institute in Netanya, Israel,{{Cite web|url=https://www-isr-org-il.translate.goog/player.asp?NTeamId=4&PlayerId=12&_x_tr_sl=iw&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc|title=אתר איגוד השחייה | נבחרות|website=isr-org-il}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.ynet.co.il/sport/article/sjnuowrc3|title=שני חברים קפצו למים: המסע של תומר פרנקל ודניס לוקטב|first=סתיו|last=איפרגן|date=22 July 2023|work=Ynet}} and his primary club in Israel has been the Maccabi Ashdod.{{Cite web|url=https://isport.co.il/%d7%93%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%a1-%d7%9c%d7%95%d7%a7%d7%98%d7%91-%d7%a7%d7%91%d7%a2-%d7%90%d7%aa-%d7%94%d7%a7%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%98%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%95%d7%9f-%d7%9c%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9c%d7%99%d7%9e%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%90/|title=דניס לוקטב קבע את הקריטריון לאולימפיאדת פריס 2024 - ישראל ספורט|date=9 June 2023|website=isport.co.il}}

=2016–20 International competition highlights=

File:Denis Loktev 1.jpg

In July 2016, Loktev won a bronze medal at the 2016 European Junior Swimming Championships in Hódmezővásárhely, Hungary, in the men's 4x200m freestyle. In June 2017, he won a bronze medal at the 2017 European Junior Swimming Championships in Netanya, Israel, in the men's 4x200m free. In July 2017 at the 2017 Maccabiah Games he won the gold medal in the men’s 200m free.{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/murez-picks-2nd-gold-maccabiah-games-159-200-free/|title=Murez Picks Up 2nd Gold Of Maccabiah Games With 1:59 200 Free|date=11 July 2017|website=SwimSwam|author=James Sutherland}}

In July 2018, he won a gold medal at the 2018 European Junior Swimming Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in the men's 4x200m freestyle, and a silver medal in the 200m freestyle with a 1:47.95.{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/russia-tops-euro-jrs-medal-count-but-look-out-for-gbr-israel/|title=Russia Tops Euro Jrs Medal Count, But Look Out For GBR & Israel|author=Retta Race|date=8 July 2018|website=SwimSwam}}{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/kristof-milak-doubles-down-for-gold-on-final-night-of-euro-juniors/|title=Kristof Milak Doubles Down For Gold On Final Night Of Euro Juniors|date=8 July 2018|website=SwimSwam|author=Retta Race}} In October 2018 Loktev won a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in the men's 200m freestyle.{{Cite web|url=https://olympics.com/en/news/kolesnikov-and-milak-at-the-double-in-the-pool|title=Kolesnikov and Milak at the double in the pool|website=Olympics.com|date=October 9, 2018}}

In March 2019, Loktev won the 400m freestyle with a 3:52.40 and the 200 Longcourse freestyle with a 1:48.67 at the 2019 Fédération Française de Natation Golden Tour Camille Muffat in Marseille, France.{{Cite web|url=https://swimcloud.com/swimmer/508481|title=Denis Loktev|website=Swimcloud|date=29 November 2023 }}{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/heemskerk-reaps-2-wins-shymanovich-makes-history-in-marseille/|title=Heemskerk Reaps 2 Wins, Shymanovich Makes History In Marseille|date=24 March 2019|website=SwimSwam|author=Retta Race}} In April 2019, he set a new Israeli national record in the 400m free with a 3:51.45 at the Stockholm Open.{{Cite web|url=https://www.isr.org.il/single-post/2019/04/13/A-new-national-records-to-Denis-Loktev--Stockholm-Cup-2019|title=A new national records to Denis Loktev - Stockholm Cup 2019|work=isr.org.il|date=April 13, 2019}} The same month he won a silver medal at the Israel Cup in the 200m free, with a 1:48.47.{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/frankel-and-loktev-swim-148s-in-200-free-on-day-3-in-israel/|title=Frankel and Loktev Swim 1:48s in 200 Free on Day 3 in Israel|date=6 April 2019|website=SwimSwam|author=Braden Keith}} In May 2019 at the 2019 Speedo Grand Challenge in Irvine, California, he won a silver medal in the 400m free super-final, at 3:54.50, and a bronze medal in the 200 L Fly, in a time of 2:03.75.{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/mclaughlin-puts-up-world-top-25-200-fr-at-nova-grand-challenge/|title=McLaughlin Puts Up World Top-25 200 FR at NOVA Grand Challenge|date=26 May 2019|website=SwimSwam|author=Nick Picararo}} In July 2019 he competed in the men's 400 metre freestyle at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.{{cite web |url=http://omegatiming.com/File/00011301070101EF01FFFFFFFFFFFF00.pdf |title=18th FINA World Championships 2019: Men's 400m Freestyle start list |work=FINA |access-date=21 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720085930/http://www.omegatiming.com/File/00011301070101EF01FFFFFFFFFFFF00.pdf |archive-date=20 July 2019 |url-status=dead }} In December 2019 at Swim Cup Amsterdam in the Netherlands, he won a silver medal in the 200 L Free in a time of 1:48.64, and a bronze medal in the 400 L Free in a time of 3:53.56.

2020 Tokyo Olympics (in 2021)

Loktev competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics in July 2021 in Tokyo in the 200m freestyle where he finished 27th.{{Cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/results/19000028|title=Olympedia – 200 metres Freestyle, Men|website=Olympedia}} His time was 1:47.68, as he missed making the semi-finals by 1.42 seconds.

=University of Louisville 2018-2021=

Loktev attended the University of Louisville, and swam for the Louisville Cardinals under Head Coach Arthur Albiero. In his freshman season, Loktev finished 8th at the 2022 NCAA Championships in Atlanta, Georgia, in the 800 freestyle relay (1:33.16). At the ACC Conference Championships, Loktev led his team to a second-place finish in the 800 freestyle relay (1:33.28).

=2023 World Aquatics Championship; Israeli record=

He qualified for the 2023 World Championships in the 200m freestyle for Israel, and set a new Israeli national record as he won the gold medal in the June 2023 Israeli Championships in the event with a 1:46.17; through June, Loktev was the 15th-fastest swimmer at that distance in the world in 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/denis-loktev-posts-14617-200free-israeli-national-record/|title=Denis Loktev Posts 1:46.17 200 Free Israeli National Record|first=Retta|last=Race|date=10 June 2023|website=SwimSwam}} At the championships he also won a gold medal in the 200m butterfly with a time of 2:00.55, and a silver medal in the 100m freestyle in a new personal best time of 48.54 seconds.{{Cite web|url=https://ashdod10.co.il/%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%95%D7%94-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%97%D7%99%D7%99%D7%9F-%D7%94%D7%90%D7%A9%D7%93%D7%95%D7%93%D7%99-%D7%93%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1-%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%A7%D7%98%D7%91-%D7%99%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%94/|title=גאווה: השחיין האשדודי דניס לוקטב יתחרה באולימפיאדה בפריז|date=16 June 2023}}

===2022 European Championships, 2023 NCAA Championships===

As a Louisville sophomore, at the 2023 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Loktev swam the second leg of the 800 Free Relay, splitting 1:33.07 as the team swam a 6:12.25. At the ACC Championships, he won a silver medal as part of the 800 Free Relay team with a 6:11.26 -- the third-fastest time in school history. At the 2022 European Championships in Rome, Loktev was a part of the Israeli 4x200 freestyle relay team that finished 5th. He also helped the 4x200 freestyle mixed relay finish sixth in the finals with a leadoff split of 1:47.66 as the team posted a 7:38.45.

=2024 European Aquatics Championships=

At the June 2024 European Aquatics Championships, Loktev teamed in the 200x4 freestyle with Bar Soloveychik, Eitan Ben Shetrit, and Gal Cohen Groumi and they finished 19 hundredths of a second from a bronze medal, as they came in fourth with a time of 7:09.92 minutes.{{Cite web|url=https://allisrael.com/gold-israeli-women-s-swimming-team-finishes-in-first-place-in-european-championship|title=Gold! Israeli women's swimming team finishes 1st in European Championship|date=23 June 2024|website=All Israel News}}

As of June 2024 his long course personal best in the 100m free was 48.54 in October 2023, and in the 200m free was 1:46.17 in September 2023.{{Cite web|url=https://www.worldaquatics.com/athletes/1056583/www.worldaquatics.com/athletes/1056583/denis-loktev|title=Denis LOKTEV | Results|website=World Aquatics}}

2024 Paris Olympics

Loktev represented Israel at the 2024 Paris Olympics in the 200 metre freestyle, 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and 4×200 metre freestyle relay.{{Cite web|url=https://iuhoosiers.com/news/2024/6/11/mens-swimming-and-diving-frankel-earns-second-olympics|title=Frankel Earns Second Olympics|website=Indiana University Athletics|date=June 11, 2024}} He said that in the wake of the 7 October attacks: "We must do everything so that in the summer we can represent the country in the best possible way on the biggest stage in the world, the Olympic Games in Paris, and this is what gives me the motivation to train with all my might every day."