European Championships, Day Two Prelims: Nathan Muratory Blazes 200 Back WJR as Ndoye Brouard Eliminated; Sprint Queen Sjöström back in Familiar Territory
Nathan Muratory set a world junior record in the 200 back during day two prelims at the European Championships in Paris which also had consequences for France teammate Yohann Ndoye Brouard.
The 18-year-old came through from lane with a blistering final 50 to stop the clock in 1:54.87 as he and Mewen Tomac filled the top two slots heading to the semis. However, that meant that Ndoye Brouard missed out under the two-per-nation rule where only two swimmers from any given country can progress from prelims.
It was one of several fine races at the Olympic Aquatic Centre in Saint-Denis where Angharad Evans set a 100m breaststroke championship record.
The crowd also witnessed Sarah Sjöström return to European waters a year after becoming a first-time mum, the Swede heading the 50 fly.
Women’s 50m Butterfly
Sjöström is the most decorated swimmer in the history of the European Championships with 28 medals since her first appearance at Eindhoven 2008 where the 14-year-old won the 100 fly.
The triple Olympic champion is a five-time champion in this event and she led the way in the sixth and final heat in 25.40 to top the field heading into the semis.
Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium was second through in 25.57 followed by Neutral Athlete B pair Aleksandra Kuznetosova (25.75) and Arina Surkova (25.77). Reigning champion Sara Junevik was the second Swede to progress in 25.86 meaning Louise Hansson – winner of the 100 fly at Roma 2022 – won’t go through under the two-per-nation rule after finishing joint eighth in 26.06.
Men’s 100m Freestyle
An enduring memory of Roma 2022 was the sight of Popovici sitting on a lane rope, arms outstretched, after lowering the WR to 46.86 and consigning Cesar Cielo’s longstanding mark to history in the process.
Then 17, the Romanian bowed to each corner of the Foro Italico as the crowd rose as one. He also won the 200 free in the Eternal City and repeated the double two years later at Belgrade 2024.
Now 21, Popovici went in the 10th and final prelim where he led home three men on 47s, the Olympic champion rolling into the wall in 47.13 ahead of Jere Hribar who set a Croatian record of 47.80 and Luca Hoek of Spain (47.90).
Home favourite Maxime Grousset was a no-show in the eighth heat, the French federation confirming to Swimming World that he had withdrawn as a precautionary measure ahead of Tuesday night’s 50 fly final, the Frenchman having fractured his foot in June. Kristof Milak became the first man to break 48secs in 47.92.
Egor Kornev has been a revelation on the sprint stage this year with the Russian rattling Andrii Govorov’s 50 fly WR in the semis on Monday night.
He twice broke 47secs at the Russian nationals in June with his 46.96 topping the rankings coming into Paris. He headed the penultimate heat in 47.97.
Popovici, Hribar, Hoek, Milak and Kornev were the five men to break 48secs.
Women’s 100m Breaststroke
What a difference 12 months can make. Evans was desolate last year after finishing 18th in prelims at the Singapore worlds after arriving atop the world rankings.
The spectre threatened to derail a swimmer who has an abundance of talent and application but who experiences nerves and an active mind.
She dug deep for her breakthrough victory at last month’s Commonwealth Games where she went on to win the 100/200 double.
The University of Stirling swimmer came through with a fine second 50 on Tuesday morning, sandwiched between Mona McSharry and Benedetta Pilato, to win the last prelim in 1:05.45 and head the field into Tuesday evening’s semis.
It was also a championship record, slicing 0.08 off the previous standard of 1:05.53 held by Yulia Efimova since Glasgow 2018.
McSharry (1:05.97) and Pilato (1:06.20) were the next swiftest through with Ellie McCartney clinching the final spot in 1:07.96.
Men’s 200m Backstroke
The roof at the Olympic Aquatic Centre threatened to blow off as it rose to a crescendo in the fourth and final prelim.
Olympic champion Hubert Kos was ahead throughout and a model of stability in the water.
Out in lane seven, however, Muratory had other ideas and he stormed through with a 29.07 final 50 to post 1:54.87. The 18-year-old hoisted himself on the lane rope to celebrate with a jubilant crowd that greeted the news of a world junior record by turning the noise up a further notch.
Muratory cut 0.27 from Kliment Kolesnikov’s 1:55.14 WJR that had stood for nine years since the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.
It was a huge PB for the teenager whose previous best stood at 1:55.88 en-route to the European junior title in Munich in June where he also won 100 silver.
Muratory headed the prelims ahead of teammate Tomac who clocked 1:55.14 followed by Kos (1:55.37), Apostolos Siskos (1:55.64) and Ndoye Brouard and Roman Mityukov who both posted 1:55.91.
However, the two-per-nation rule means only two athletes per country can progress from prelims meaning world bronze medallist Ndoye Brouard misses out as the third Frenchman behind Muratory and Tomac.
Mixed Medley Relay
Italy headed the second of three prelims but the announcement the race was under review was followed by the news the quartet of Michele Lamberti, Ludovico Viberti, Anita Gastaldi and Emma Menicucci had been disqualified following the takeover going into Viberti’s breaststroke leg.
The Neutral Athletes B squad led the way into the final in 3:43.02 ahead of France (3:44.27) and European record holders Great Britain (3:45.29).
Spain, Greece, Poland, Netherlands and Germany also progressed with plenty of changes to come to squad composition tonight.
Men’s 800 Free
Johannes Liebmann was more than a second inside his own European record pace at halfway, reaching 400m in 3:47.10.
The German was still 0.42 inside at 600m but eased off to come home in 7:41.87, 3.93secs off his European standard of 7:37.94 set in Stockholm in April.
Zalan Sarkany took second in 7:42.34 with Olympic champion Daniel Wiffen third in 7:44.86 as the trio booked the top slots for the final followed by Sven Schwarz, who won the penultimate prelim in 7:46.93.
