2017 European SC Championships: Day 2 Finals Live Recap

EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2017

• December, 13th to 17th
• Copenhagen, Denmark
• 25m
• Entry lists
• Live timing
• Webcast (for Europe)
• Results 

WOMEN’S 50 FLY SEMIFINALS

• CR: Sarah Sjöström – 24.58  (12/3/15)
• WR: Therese Alshammar – 24.38 (11/22/09)

1. Ranomi Kromowidjojo 25.28
2. Emilie Beckmann 25.33
3. Aleksandra Urbanczyk 25.51
4. Maaike De Waard 25.60
5. Aliena Schmidtke 25.62
6. Melanie Henique 25.66
7. Anastasiya Shkurdai 25.74
8. Kimberly Buys 25.78

Dutchwoman Ranomi Kromowidjojo swam the fastest time in the semifinals tonight, with Denmark’s Emilie Beckmann close behind.

The rest of the field was very tightly-bunched, with Poland’s Aleksandra Urbanczyk sitting third at 25.51 and Belgium’s Kimberly Buys at eighth in 25.78.

Surprisingly, Sarah Sjöström, the meet record holder and long course world record holder, missed the final with a 25.80 which ties her for 9th with Finland’s Mimosa Jallow.

MEN’S 200 FREE FINAL

• CR: Paul Biedermann – 1:39.81 (12/13/09)
• WR: Paul Biedermann – 1:39.37 (11/15/09)

1. Danas Raspys 1:40.85
2. Aleksandr Krasnykh 1:42.22
3. Duncan Scott 1:43.07

Out fast and never looking back, Lithuania’s Danas Raspys charged to the gold medal in the men’s 200 free. He was over a full second ahead of the silver, finishing with a time of 1:40.85 to dust Russia’s Aleksandr Krasnykh and GBR’s Duncan Scott.

This marks Lithuania’s 2nd gold medal of the meet, after Ruta Meilutyte grabbed the gold in the women’s 50 breast.

MEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL

• CR: Marco Koch – 2:00.53 (12/3/15)
• WR: Marco Koch – 2:00.44 (11/20/16)

Kirill Prigoda of Russia, coming off of a silver medal in the 50 breast last night, came through for the win here. He was 2:01.11, sneaking past Germany’s Marco Koch, the meet and world record holder. Koch was 2:01.52 for the silver.

Prigoda’s Russian teammate, Mikhail Dorinov, was 2:01.85 for bronze in a very close race.

Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands was 2:02.46 with the second-fastest final 50 (31.69), but fell just short of the podium and finished fourth.

WOMEN’S 100 FREE SEMIFINALS

• CR: Inge Dekker – 51.35 (12/11/09)
• WR: Cate Campbell – 50.25 (10/26/17)

1. Charlotte Bonnet 51.71
2. Pernille Blume 52.09
3. Femke Heemskerk 52.10
4. Marie Wattel 52.35
5. Ranomi Kromowidjojo 52.49
6. Sarah Sjöström 52.65
7. Federica Pellegrini 52.85
8. Rozaliya Nasretdinova 53.02

Pernille Blume came to race tonight, getting to the wall ahead of sprint queens Kromowidjojo and Sjöström with a solid 52.09 showing. Kromowidjojo was 52.49 and Sjöström 52.65, though both had just swum the 50 fly semifinals.

Sjöström missed the 50 fly final, but looked stronger in the 100 free semifinals and will swim in the final.

Charlotte Bonnet of France wound up on top with a blazing 51.71 in semifinal 2. Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands and Bonnet’s teammate Marie Wattel also swam well to make tonight’s final.

MEN’S 400 IM FINAL

• CR: Laszlo Cseh – 3:57.27 (12/11/09)
• WR: Ryan Lochte – 3:55.50 (12/16/10)

1. Peter Bernek 3:59.47
2. Philip Heintz 4:03.16
3. Gergely Gyurta 4:06.33

It was a Hungarian-German sandwich in the men’s 400 IM, as Hungarians Peter Bernek and Gergely Gyurta claimed the gold and bronze, respectively, and German Philip Heintz came away with the silver.

Bernek was 3:59.47, cruising to the win by more than three seconds over Heintz. Gyurta, meanwhile, was back at 4:06.33 to sneak past Spain’s Marc Sanchez Torrens (4:06.73).

WOMEN’S 100 BACK FINAL

• CR: Katinka Hosszu – 55.42 (12/2/15)
• WR: Katinka Hosszu – 55.03 (12/4/14)

1. Katinka Hosszu 55.66
2. Kira Toussaint 56.21
3. Maria Kameneva 57.01

Though Kira Toussaint was out faster than Katinka Hosszu, 27.00 to 27.14, the Iron Lady came back stronger and ultimately claimed the gold.

Hosszu finished first with a time of 55.66, just over a half second ahead of Toussaint. The Dutchwoman’s 56.21 was still good for silver, and broke her 56.80 national record that she set in the semifinals.

Russia’s Maria Kameneva was 57.01 to take the bronze, just ahead of Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina (57.08).

MEN’S 100 BACK SEMIFINALS

• CR: Stanislav Donets/Arkady Vyatchanin – 48.97 (12/13/09)
• WR: Matt Grevers – 48.92 (12/15/15)

1. Kliment Kolesnikov 49.25
2. Simone Sabbioni 50.26
3. Robert Glinta 50.30
4. Christian Diener 50.41
5. Radoslaw Kawecki 50.60
6. Apostolos Christou/Kacper Stokowski 50.67
7. –
8. Andrei Shabasov 50.76

Continuing his big week, Russian 17-year-old Kliment Kolesnikov crushed a 49.25 tonight in the 100 back semifinals. That time dismantles the WJR, which is his own record (but officially held by Kacper Stokowski, who finished tied for 6th, because FINA has yet to ratify Kolesnikov’s faster times). Kolesnikov is now less than four tenths off of the World Record in this event, which is a 48.92 held by Matt Grevers.

Italy’s Simone Sabbioni and Romania’s Robert Glinta finished 2nd and 3rd in semifinals. Glinta is halfway through his freshman year at USC. The field is pretty close, but Kolesnikov is clearly ahead and is the heavy favorite for gold tomorrow.

WOMEN’S 100 IM SEMIFINALS

• CR: Katinka Hosszu – 56.67 (12/4/15)
• WR: Katinka Hosszu – 56.51 (8/7/2017)

1. Katinka Hosszu 57.64
2. Sarah Sjöström 59.40
3. Jenna Laukkanen 59.43
4. Susann Bjoernsen 59.65
5. Evelyn Verraszto 59.85
6. Marrit Steenbergen/Amit Ivri 59.98
7. –
8. Lena Kreundl 1:00.14

It nearly took a sub-1:00 performance to make the final in the women’s 100 IM, with Hosszu well ahead of the pack. The Iron Lady was 57.64, now within a second of her meet record.

Sjöström was 59.40 to qualify 2nd through to the final, her third semifinal swim of the night. Finland’s Jenna Laukkanen was close behind at 59.43, and Norway’s Susann Bjoernsen sits 4th at 59.65.

MEN’S 100 FLY FINAL

• CR: Evgeny Korotyshkin – 48.93 (12/11/09)
• WR: Chad le Clos – 48.08 (12/8/16)

1. Matteo Rivolta 49.93
2. Piero Codia 49.96
3. Marius Kusch 50.01

The Italians powered to a 1-2 sweep tonight in the 100 fly, with Matteo Rivolta posting a 49.93 to claim gold. Piero Codia was hundredths behind at 49.96 for silver.

In fact, the entire podium was separated by mere hundredths, as bronze medalist Marius Kusch of Germany  was 50.01, just short of cracking 49 seconds.

Russia’s Aleksandr Sadovnikov was 4th at 50.19, not far behind, either.

WOMEN’S 800 FREE FINAL

• CR: Alessia Filippi – 8:04.53 (12/12/08)
• WR: Mireia Belmonte – 7:59.34 (8/10/13)

1. Sarah Kohler 8:10.65
2. Boglarka Kapas 8:11.13
3. Simona Quadarella 8:16.53

Sarah Kohler led the first half of the race, but Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas snuck ahead at the 500 mark. Kohler, the German, fought hard, though, reclaiming the lead with 50 meters to go and holding on as she earned gold in 8:10.65. Kapas was close behind for silver at 8:11.13.

Italian Simona Quadarella finished in 8:16.53 for bronze, ahead of Liechtenstein’s Julia Hassler (8:18.28).

WOMEN’S 50 FLY FINAL

• CR: Sarah Sjöström – 24.58  (12/3/15)
• WR: Therese Alshammar – 24.38 (11/22/09)

1. Ranomi Kromowidjojo 24.78
2. Emilie Beckmann 25.16
3. Maaike De Waard 25.46

It was strange to see a 50 fly final with NO Sjöström.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo powered to the win with a quick 24.78, just two tenths off of Sjöström’s meet record. Denmark’s Emilie Beckmann (25.16) gave her home country the silver medal, while Kromowidjojo’s Dutch teammate Maaike De Waard swam a 25.46 to secure the bronze.

MIXED 4X50 MEDLEY RELAY FINAL

• CR: Italy – 1:38.33 (12/3/15)
• WR: USA – 1:37.17 (12/21/13)

1. Netherlands 1:37.71
2. Belarus 1:37.74
3. France 1:37.75

Talk about a close race. The Dutch won the 4×50 mixed medley relay, getting a 23.09 anchor leg out of Kromowidjojo to come back on Belarus, who had shot out to a lead with a 22.89 from Pavel Sankovich and a 25.32 breast leg from Ilya Shymanovich.

France and Germany got 22.94 lead-offs, Jeremy Stravius for France and Christian Diener for Germany. Charlotte Bonnet was 23.17 to anchor France to bronze.