Roos Vanotterdijk Secures Golden Double at Open Belgian Championships
Roos Vanotterdijk secured double gold as she continued her return from injury on day two of the Open Belgian Championships in Antwerp.
Vanotterdijk booked a spot on the team for the European Championships in Paris on the opening day in the 100 fly, in which she won silver at last year’s worlds in Singapore.
The 21-year-old kick-started the second finals session with a comprehensive 2:13.68 victory in the 200IM although her time was outside the Paris cut.
She returned for the 100 free where she again touched the wall first in 54.81 although that was 0.21 off the Paris qualification time of 54.81. Behind her Fleur Bussels (56.00), Nore Michiels (56.21) and Siri Vanderlinden (56.26) all went inside the QT for the European Junior Championships in Munich.
Florine Gaspard twice lowered her Belgian 50 breast record on the opening day and again demonstrated her speed when she reached the halfway point of the 100 in 30.65, 1.09secs ahead of Dutchwoman Tes Schouten.
Schouten, who has been on a long road to recovery following serious illness after the Paris Olympics, came back on with a 34.98 second 50 to go past her Antwerp training partner in 1:06.68 to 1:06.99.
It was a second Belgian title in as many races for Gaspard as she booked another swim at the Europeans which run from 10-16 August with Grace Palmer the second Belgian home in 1:10.10.
Simon Laviolette had already attained the 400IM QT for the European Junior Championships but still had his sights set on Paris. He set out well inside his PB and maintained his momentum to stop the clock at 4:19.60 to go 0.10 inside the cut. It was the second-fastest performance in Belgian history surpassed only by Ward Bauwens’ 4:16.71 at London 2012.
Sarah Dumont added the 800 to her 200 free gold in 8:37.44 to reaffirm the QT she had already achieved.
- Eszter Feltothy Szabo of Hungary added the 200 back to first in the 400IM in 2:10.64 with Noor Broeckaert the first Belgian in 2:18.23
- Caspar Corbeau enjoyed victory by almost a second in the 50 breast in 27.26 with Bartel Vranken taking the Belgian title in 28.24
- Perry Laarhoven of the Netherlands won the men’s 100 free (49.67) with Daniel Laureyssens taking the Belgian title in a 49.72 PB
- Logan Vanhuys won the men’s 800 free in 8:09.37
- Dutch swimmer Tiago Fonseca Gomes eased to the 200 fly in 2:01.59 with Nathan Dufond the first Belgian to touch in 2:06.29
- Pauline Zeller set a 26.71 PB for 50 fly gold
- Noah Verreth was the first Belgian home in the 50 back in 25.55