On the fourth day of the European Short Course Championships, times are getting faster and swimmers need to fight with everything they have to make it the semi-finals or finals.
In the men’s 100m freestyle, Mindaugas Sadauskas surprised everyone by signing the fastest time of the prelims in 47.18 with this performance he also breaks a new national record for Lithuania. Top 8 for tonight’s semi-finals are Sadauskas, Szczepanski (47.30), Machekin (47.44), Kliukin (47.45), Wolf (47.46), Timmers (47.48), Kusch (47.58) and Surgeloose (47.62).
It took a 23.59 in the men’s 50m butterfly to come back in the sweet 16 tonight. Matteo Rivolta (ITA) was the fastest with a 22.83 closely followed by Aleksandr Popkov (RUS) 22.85 and Yauhen Tsurkin (BLR) 22.87.
Without too much surprise Katinka Hosszu (HUN) signed the top time in the women’s 50m backstroke in 26.48 while Alexandra Urbanczyk from Poland swam 26.88 and Katarina Listopadova from Slovakia swam 26.88. To expect to enter the sweet 16 of the semi-finals 27.69 was needed this morning in Israel.
The two big names that came out of the women’s 200m freestyle were Hosszu and Heemskerk (NED). They respectively swam 1:53.39 and 1:53.49, which earned them the two top spots for tonight’s final. Another girl to watch will be Federica Pelligrini (ITA) who swam 1:54.59 and that seemed to be flying after the win of the Italian relay last night in the 4x50m freestyle.
Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) showed off a strong 100m butterly signing the top time of the morning with 56.50 while Sarah Sjoestroem (SWE) is only 2 tenth off that time with 56.70. Completing the top 8 of the women’s 100m butterfly comes Inge Dekker (NED) 57.22, Silvia Di Pietro (ITA) 57.23, Ilaria Bianchi (ITA) 57.29, Alexandra Wenk (GER) 57.50, Siobhan-Marie O’Connor (GBR) 57.75 and Amit Ivri (ISR) 57.91.
Fesikov from Russia and Tancock from Great-Britain will be the leading men for tonight’s semi-finals of the men’s 100m individual medley as they signed the two fastest times this morning. While the Russian is a good freestyler he swam 52.18, the British famously known for his talent in backstroke swam 52.58. It took 53.96 to earn a spot in the semi-finals.
The last individual event of the morning was the women’s 200m individual medley. Once again the Iron Lady, Hosszu, secured herself the top seat with a time of 2:05.66. The second swim of the morning belongs to O’Connor with 2:07.92 and Hannah Miley (GBR) signs the third time in 2:08.74.
The mixed 4x50m freestyle relay saw Belarus shine and take the first place for the final. Belarus’ relay was composed of Tsurkin (21.54), Viktar Staselovich (21.51), Aliaksandra Herasimenia (24.02) and Yuliya Khitraya (24.14) for a total time of 1:31.21. Completing the top 8 is Netherlands (1:31.86), Finland (1:31.89), Sweden (1:32.16), Russia (1:32.29), Italy (1:32.31), Israel (1:32.88) and Ukraine (1:33.68).
Ah..full crowl… Line & strength…
Mldc minde! dirbi nemiegi 😀
:47.1??? WOW.
Slick!