2014 European Championships Friday Finals Live Recap

2014 LEN EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, August 13-Sunday, August 24, 2014 (pool swimming Monday, 8/18-Sunday 8/24)
• The Velodrom, Berlin, Germany
• Local time: Prelims 9:30am, Finals 6pm (Monday-Thursday), 4pm (Friday-Sunday)
• Meet website
• Event schedule
• Live stream
• Live results

MEN’S 800 FREE – Finals

• 2012 European Champ: Gergo Kis, Hungary, 7:49.46
• 2010 European Champ: Sebastien Rouault, France, 7:48.28
• Meet Record: Sebastien Rouault, France, 7:48.28 – 2009
• World Record: Lin Zhang, China, 7:32.12 – 2009
• European Record: Gabriele Detti, Italy, 7:42.74 – 2014

The Italian men collected two medals in the first event of the evening collecting gold and bronze in the men’s 800 freestyle. Gregorio Paltrinieri took the event in a time of 7:44.98 breaking Sebastien Rousault’s 2009 record of 7:48.28, but was off of his best time of 7:43.01, which he posted earlier this year. Paltrinieri had control of the race the entire way taking the first 400 meters out in a time of 4:19.68 over three seconds ahead of the next competitor.

Pal Joensen of Faroe Islands battled back and forth for much of the race with European record holder Gabriele Detti for the second place position. Joensen eventually took the silver in a time of 7:48.49. Detti, who won this event at the Italian championships earlier in the year, beating Paltrinieri, finished third in a time of 7:49.35.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ:  1:56.26 – Federica Pellegrini – Italy
• 2010 European Champ: 1:55.45 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy
• Meet Record: 1:55.45 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010
• World Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010
• European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010

World record holder Federica Pelligrini of Italy will be heading into the 200 freestyle as the top qualifier after posting a 1:56.69 in this evening’s semi-final. Pellegrini will be shooting for a three peat tomorrow night after taking this event in both 2010 and 2012. She was off her season’s best of 1:55.69.

Russian Veronika Popova entered the event with a season’s best time of 1:55.93, she did not match that time this evening, but put up the second fastest time in the semi-finals recording a 1:56.84. Popova had a strong second 100 meters catching and overtaking Hungarian Katinka Hosszu in the second semi-final. Hosszu goes into the final with the third fastest qualifying time of 1:56.69.

Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands had the fastest first 100 meters in the semi-finals taking the first half of the race out in a time of 56.73, eventually finishing in a time of 1:57.15. She will go into the final with the fourth fastest time.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ: 51.45 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia
• 2010 European Champ: 51.73 – Yevgeny Korotyshkin – Russia
• Meet Record: 51.45 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia – 2012
• World Record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps – United States – 2009
• European Record: 49.95 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia – 2009

In the first semi-final hometown favourite German Steffen Deibler took the lead in the first 50 meters turning in a time of 24.10, but he was not able to hold off Adam Barrett of Great Britain who finished one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Deibler posting lifetime best time of 51.80. Deibler finished in a time of 51.81. Barrett will be heading into the final with the second fastest qualifying time while Deibler was the third fastest qualifier.

Konrad Czerniak of Poland was the top qualifier in the event taking the second semi-final in a time of 51.58, which beats his season’s best of 51.89. Pavel Sankovich of Belarus finished second to Czerniak, posting a time of 51.83 and will go into tomorrow night’s final with the fourth fastest qualifying time.

WOMEN’S 200 BREAST – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Sarah Nordenstam, Norway, 2:26.91
• 2010 European Champ: Anastasia Chaun, Russia, 2:23.50
• Meet Record: Anastasia Chaun, Russia, 2:23.50 – 2010
• World Record: Rikke Pedersen, Denmark, 2:19.11 – 2013
• European Record: Rikke Pedersen, Denmark, 2:19.11 – 2013

Rikke Moller Pedersen of Denmark provided a lot of excitement in the women’s 200 breaststroke, swimming ahead of her world record pace heading into the final 50 meters. Pedersen struggled in the final 50 posting a split of 37.01, finishing in a time of 2:19.84, which was still almost four full seconds ahead of the next competitor.

• World record splits – 31.80/1:07.27 (35.47)/1:42.89 (35.62)/2:19.11 (36.22)
• Berlin splits – 32.02/1:07.30 (35.28)/1:42.83 (35.53)/2:19.84 (37.01)

British teenager Molly Renshaw headed into the final 50 meters in fifth place, she eventual overtook three swimmer winning the silver in a time of 2:23.82. The Commonwealth Games bronze medalist also broke the British record of 2:24.04 set by Kristy Balfour in 2006.

Jessica Vall Montero of Spain finished third in a time of 2:24.08.

MEN’S 100 FREE – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Filippo Magnini, Italy, 48.77
• 2010 European Champ: Alain Bernard, France, 48.49
• Meet Record: Alain Bernard, France, 47.50 – 2008
• World Record: Cesar Cielo, Brazil, 46.91 – 2009
• European Record: Alain Bernard, France, 47.12 – 2009

One of the most anticipated races of the competitions heading into Berlin lost some of it’s luster once the top ranked swimmer, Russian Vlad Morozov missed the semi-finals posting a 49.14 in the prelims.

That did not stop Florent Manaudou of France from having the best 100 freestyle performance of his life. Manaudou took the event in a time of 47.98 marking the first time the Frenchman has swum under 48 seconds, beating his previous best time of 48.41. His time catapults him into the third place position in the world rankings.

Manaudou’s teammate Fabien Gilot took the silver in a time of 48.36 beating his season’s best of 48.73. Italian Luca Leonardi collected the bronze posting a time of 48.38, which is a textile best.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ: 28.25 – Mercedes Peris – Spain
• 2010 European Champ:  27.64 – Aliaksandra Herasimenia – Belarus
• Meet Record: 27.64 – Aliaksandra Herasimenia – Belarus – 2010
• World Record: 27.06 – Jhao Jing – China – 2009
• European Record: 27.23 – Daniela Samulski – Germany – 2009

The first semi-final saw a battle between two British swimmers, Georgia Davies and Fran Halsall. Davies, who won the Commonwealth gold in the event, finished just ahead of Halsall touching in a time of 28.13. Halsall recorded a time of 28.19. The two swimmers go into the finals with the third and fourth position.

Earlier in the competition Mie Neilsen of Denmark tied Katinka Hosszu for the gold in the 100 meter backstroke. She will look to stand alone on top of the podium after tomorrow night’s 50 backstroke final. Neilsen put herself in a good position to do just that qualifying with the top time of 27.78, just two one-hundredths of a second away from her lifetime best of 27.76.

Mercedes Peris Minguet finished with the second fastest qualifying time of 27.91.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ: 1:55.28 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland
• 2010 European Champ: 1:57.18 – Stanislav Donets – Russia
• Meet Record: 1:55.28 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland – 2012
• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol – United States – 2009
• European Record: 1:54.24 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland – 2013

The men’s 200 backstroke was quite pedestrian with European record hold Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland posting the top qualifying time of 1:57.35. The next two fastest time came from Hungarians Peter Bernek and Gabor Balog. Bernek finished in a time of 1:57.41 while Balog recorded a time of 1:57.97.

Italian Luca Mencarini took the first semi-final in a time of 1:58.16, qualifying for the final with the fourth fastest time.

WOMEN’S 100 FLY – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Ingvild Snildal, Norway, 58.04
• 2010 European Champ: Sarah Sjoestroem, Sweden, 57.32
• Meet Record: Martina Moravcova, Slovakia, 57.20 – 2002
• World Record: Dana Vollmer, USA, 55.98 – 2012
• European Record: Sarah Sjoestroem, Sweden, 56.06 – 2009

The 100 butterfly was a thrilling race, not only for the gold, but for the bronze as well. In what can be considered an upset, Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark took the gold medal in a time of 56.51. Ottesen had the lead at the 50 meter mark turning in a time of 26.47, with the favourite in the race, Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, trailing by 23 one-hundredths of a second. Sjostrom out swam Ottesen in the second half of the race, splitting a 29.82, but fell just short of catching the Dane finishing in a time of 56.52.

The time for Ottesen breaks her own Danish national record of 56.96, which she set in June.

The race for third was just as compelling. At the 50 meter mark Inge Dekker of the Netherlands led Italian Ilaria Bianchi by 48 one-hundredths of a second turning in a time of 26.76. In this battle Bianchi was able to catch and out touch Dekker by one one-hundredth of a second collecting the bronze in a time of 57.71. Dekker finished fourth in a time of 57.72.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ: 27.32 – Damir Dugonjic – Slovenia
• 2010 European Champ: 27.38 – Fabio Scozolli – Italy
• Meet Record: 27.18 – Oleg Lisogor – Ukraine – 2002
• World Record: 26.67 – Cameron Van Der Burgh – South Africa – 2009
• European Record: 26.78 – Adam Peaty – Great Britain – 2014

At the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa got the best of Adam Peaty finishing two one-hundredths of a second ahead of the British teenager to take the gold. This evening Peaty got his revenge, not by beating the South African in a head to head showdown, but by taking down van der Burgh’s 2009 world record of 26.67, posting a 26.62.

That makes it almost a full second of improvement for Peaty on the season and erases another world record from the shiny suit era.

Caba Siladji of Serbia qualified with the second fastest time of 27.33 followed by Giedrius Titenis of Lithuania who posted a 27.39.

Mixed 400 Free Relay – FINAL

• 2012 European Champ: N/A
• 2010 European Champ: N/A
• Meet Record: N/A
• World Record: Australia, 3:28.29 – 2014
• European Record: N/A (none recognized by LEN)

An exciting day of competition ended with a tight finish between the Italians and Russians in the mixed 4 x 100 free relay. The Italians took the gold winning in a time of 3:25.02 followed by the Russians that posted a 3:25.60.

Italian Splits:

• Luca Dotto – 48.78
• Luca Leonardi – 48.01
• Erika Ferraioli – 53.83
• Giada Galizi – 54.40

Russian Splits:

• Clement Mignon – 48.89
• Gregory Mallet – 48.49
• Anna Santamans – 54.64
• Coralie Balmy – 55.00

France who collected the bronze in a time of 3:27.02