2023 European Short Course Championships: Day 1 Prelims Live Recap

2023 European Short Course Swimming Championships

• December 5-10, 2023
• Otopeni Olympic Swimming Complex, Bucharest, Romania
• Short Course Meters (25 meters)
• Prelims 2:30am (ET), Finals 11am (ET)
• Entries Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Live Results (Microplus Timing)
• Eurovision Sport Livestream

NOTE: The Eurovision Sport livestream seems to be having some technical difficulties when being accessed through a web browser. It does appear to be working by using the Eurovision Sport app on your device.

The first preliminary session of the 2023 European Short Course Championships kicks off today in Otopeni, Romania. This first session will feature seven events: the women’s 400 IM, men’s 400 free, women’s 50 free, men’s 50 back, women’s 100 breast, men’s 100 fly, and the women’s 800 free.

Lorenzo Mora of Italy enters the men’s 50 backstroke as the top seed (22.65), and is seeded first in the other two individual backstroke events as well. France’s Mewen Tomac (22.96) is the only other swimmer seeded under the :23 second mark. Thomas Ceccon, who is the world record holder in the LCM 100 backstroke, will not swim this sprint backstroke event here in Otopeni.

The women’s 100 breaststroke will feature a stacked field this morning. Eneli Jefimova enters the event as the top seeded entrant in 1:03.79, a time she clocked a few weeks ago to break the Estonian record. Tes Schouten (1:03.90), who won the bronze medal in the 200 breaststroke at the 2023 Fukuoka Worlds, is seeded 2nd. Benedetta Pilato currently ranks 3rd with the 1:04.03 time she put up at the Nico Sapio Trophy three weeks ago.

The men’s 100 fly will be another great race to follow throughout the next two days, as Noe Ponti comes in as the top seeded athlete (48.81). While Ponti is the only swimmer seeded under the :49-second barrier, Italy’s Matteo Rivolta is not ranked too far behind (49.07). Another big name to watch out for is Maxime Grousset, the man who won the long course world title in the event this past summer. At the French Championships in October, Grousset lowered the French record in the 100 fly (SCM) to 49.24.

WOMEN’S 400 IM – Heats

• World Record: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 4:18.94 (2017)
• European Record: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 4:18.94 (2017)
• SC Euros Record: Katinka Hosszu (HUN) – 4:19.46 (2015)

Top 8:

1. Freya Colbert (GBR) – 4:29.68
2. Abbie Wood (GBR) – 4:29.73
3. Katie Shanahan (GBR) – 4:30.34 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
4. Ellen Walshe (IRL) – 4:34.32
5. Lara Grangeon (FRA) – 4:35.82
6. Zsuzsanna Jakabos (HUN) – 4:36.52
7. Anja Crevar (SRB) – 4:36.97
8. Louna Kasvio (FIN) – 4:37.89
9. Lisa Nystrand (SWE) – 4:39.23

There were only two heats contested this morning in the women’s 400 IM, with the top qualifier coming out of heat two. Freya Colbert won the heat, posting a time of 4:29.68 to take the win by nearly five seconds. Her teammates, Abbie Wood and Katie Shanahan, went to battle in heat one. Wood got the touch in 4:29.73, with Shanahan clocking 4:30.34 to take 2nd in the heat. Those three posted the fastest times of the morning, but Shanahan will not get a second swim because only two swimmers from each country can advance.

Ireland’s Ellen Walshe, who claimed silver in this event at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Worlds, clocked the 4th fastest time of the morning and will advance to the final tonight ranked 3rd. If she can match her best time from Abu Dhabi (4:26.52), she will be in contention to take the title.

Lisa Nystrand of Sweden, who placed 9th this morning, will get a second swim tonight since Shanahan can’t advance.

MEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – Heats

• World Record: Yannick Agnel (FRA) – 3:32.25 (2012)
• European Record: Yannick Agnel (FRA) – 3:32.25 (2012)
• SC Euros Record: Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 3:33.20 (2019)

Top 8:

1. Danas Rapsys (LTU) – 3:39.19
2. Felix Auboeck (AUT) – 3:39.43
3. Daniel Wiffen (IRL) – 3:39.54
4. Matteo Ciampi (ITA) – 3:39.69
5. Lucas Henveaux (BEL) – 3:39.96
6. Antonio Djakovic (SUI) – 3:40.18
7. Victor Johansson (SWE) – 3:40.34
8. Marco de Tullio (ITA) – 3:40.41

Dimitrios Markos of Greece took the win in heat 2, posting a time of 3:40.63. He knocked nearly 9 seconds off his entry time with that effort, and just missed making the final in 10th place.

Austria’s Felix Auboeck took the penultimate heat win, hitting the wall in 3:39.43. Daniel Wiffen of Ireland (3:39.54) and Antonio Djakovic (3:40.18) of Switzerland followed closely behind him.

Former Cal Bear Lucas Henveaux of Belgium took out the final heat strongly, turning through the 200 in a time of 1:47.19. He led the field by nearly a second, and extended his lead through the 300m turn. Danas Rapsys and Matteo Ciampi made a late charge to challenge for the heat win, with Rapsys ultimately getting the touch in 3:39.19. Ciampi touched 2nd, while Henveaux fell back to 3rd. The time by Henveaux (3:39.96) represents a new national record, eclipsing his previous mark of 3:40.80 from October.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – Heats

• World Record: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 22.93 (2017)
• European Record: Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) – 22.93 (2017)
• SC Euros Record: Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 23.12 (2021)

Top 16:

1. Michelle Coleman (SWE) – 23.74
2. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 24.00
3. Beryl Gastaldello (FRA) – 24.07
4. Barbora Janickova (CZE) – 24.14
5. Anna Hopkin (GBR) – 24.15
6. Angelina Kohler (GER) & Neza Klancar (SLO) – 24.21
7. –
8. Silvia Di Pietro (ITA) – 24.22
9. Valerie van Roon (NED) – 24.27
10. Jessica Felsner (GER) – 24.29
11. Danielle Hill (IRL) – 24.33
12. Petra Senanszky (HUN) – 24.47
13. Sara Curtis (ITA) – 24.50
14. Sara Junevik (SWE) – 24.57
15. Chiara Tarantino (ITA) – 24.59 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
16. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 24.60
17. Kalia Antoniou (CYP) – 24.65

Michelle Coleman of Sweden got off to a great start in the first of the circle seeded heats, taking the win in 23.74. Her outing is just 0.02 off her entry time of 23.72, and puts her in a great position heading into the next round as she was the only competitor to dip under 24 seconds.

Denmark’s Julie Kepp Jensen clocked 24.00 to secure the win in heat 4 and Olympic Champion Anna Hopkin took the final heat in 24.15. Jensen will advance 2nd overall while Hopkin will move through safely in 5th.

The field was very bunched up this morning, with the top ten swimmers being 24.2 or faster. The semi-finals tonight will showcase a tight race for the eight available spots in the championship final.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – Heats

• World Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 22.11 (2022)
• European Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 22.11 (2022)
• SC Euros Record: Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS) – 22.47 (2021)

Top 16:

1. Mewen Tomac (FRA) – 23.16
2. Ole Braunschweig (GER) – 23.25
3. Ralf Tribuntsov (EST) – 23.28
4. Denis-Laurean Popescu (ROU) – 23.36
5. Andrei-Mircea Anghel (ROU) – 23.49
6. Shane Ryan (IRE) – 23.52
7. Miroslav Knedla (CZE) – 23.55
8. Lorenzo Mora (ITA) – 23.58
9. Apostolos Christou (GRE) & Oliver Morgan (GBR) – 23.61
10. –
11. Thierry Bollin (SUI) – 23.64
12. Andrei Ungur (ROU) – 23.68 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
13. Jonathan Adam (GBR) – 23.74
14. Markus Lie (NOR) – 23.77
15. Cameron Brooker (GBR) – 23.79 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
16. Gabriel Lopes (POR) – 23.92
17. Ronny Brannkarr (FIN) – 23.93
18. Joao Costa (POR) – 23.96

Mewen Tomac of France showcased his strong underwater skills en route to winning the penultimate heat, clocking a time of 23.16 to grab the win. The swim by Tomac is just 0.20 off his 22.96 entry time.

Lorenzo Mora, who holds the top seed in every backstroke event at these championships, took 4th in the final heat of the morning. Ole Braunschweig of Germany took the win, posting 23.25.

Great Britain had three swimmers go 23.7 or faster, but only two of those swimmers (Oliver Morgan & Jonathan Adam) will be permitted to advance to the semi-finals for a second swim. Cameron Brooker is the one who will miss out, but he recorded a 23.79 for the 15th fastest time of the morning.

World Junior Champion Miroslav Knedla advances to the semi-finals ranked 7th, as he posted a swift time of 23.58 to take 3rd in the fourth heat.

WOMEN’S 100 BREASTSTROKE – Heats

• World Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) / Alia Atkinson (JAM) – 1:02.36 (2013/2014/2016)
• European Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:02.36 (2013)
• SC Euros Record: Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 1:02.92 (2013)

Top 16:

1. Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:04.28
2. Tes Schouten (NED) – 1:04.31
3. Sophie Hansson (SWE) – 1:04.77
4. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 1:05.21
5. Martina Carraro (ITA) – 1:05.26
6. Francesca Fangio (ITA) – 1:05.60 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
7. Diana Petkova (BUL) – 1:05.63
8. Clara Rybak-Andersen (DEN) – 1:05.64
9. Maria Romanjuk (EST) – 1:05.74
10. Klara Thormalm (SWE) – 1:05.83
11. Kara Hanlon (GBR) – 1:05.86
12. Andrea Podmanikova (SVK) – 1:06.07
13. Imogen Clark (GBR) – 1:06.16
14. Sr Slyngstadli (NOR) – 1:06.19
15. Tara Vovk (SLO) – 1:06.20
16. Anita Bottazzo (ITA) – 1:06.22 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
17. Thea Blomsterberg (DEN) – 1:06.47
18. Kristyna Horska (CZE) – 1:06.48

Eneli Jefimova of Estonia posted the fastest time of the morning, stopping the clock in 1:04.28 en route to winning the fourth heat. Sweden’s Sophie Hansson touched half a second behind her in that heat, posting a time 1:04.77. The time by Hansson ranks her 3rd heading into tonight’s semi-finals.

Tes Schouten clocked 1:04.31 in heat three, winning by over a second. That time ranks her 2nd going into the semi-finals, and she is quite close to the 1:03.90 best time she posted in December of 2022.

Four Italian swimmers ranked within the top 16 this morning, but only two will be permitted to advance to the semi-finals. Benedetta Pilato (1:05.21) and Martina Carraro (1:05.26) earned their spots, placing 4th and 5th overall this morning.

Two British athletes will advance to the second round later today, as Kara Hanlon (1:05.86) and Imogen Clark (1:06.16) placed 11th and 13th, respectively.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – Heats

• World Record: Caeleb Dressel (USA) – 47.78 (2020)
• European Record: Yevgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) – 48.48 (2009)
• SC Euros Record: Yevgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) – 48.93 (2009)

Top 16: 

1. Noe Ponti (SUI) – 49.14
2. Maxime Grousset (FRA) – 49.67
3. Jacob Peters (GBR) – 50.27
4. James Guy (GBR) – 50.29
5. Ed Mildred (GBR) – 50.39 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
6. Daniel Gracik (CZE) – 50.52
7. Matteo Rivolta (ITA) – 50.57
8. Michele Busa (ITA) – 50.88
9. Daniel Zaitsev (EST) – 51.10
10. Nikola Miljenic (CRO) – 51.23
11. Max McCusker (IRL) – 51.27
12. Christian Ferraro (ITA) – 51.36 (only two swimmers per country can advance)
13. Diogo Ribeiro (POR) – 51.56
14. Ramon Klenz (GER) – 51.65
15. Lukas Edl (AUT) – 51.70
16. Oskar Hoff (SWE) – 51.82
17. Alex Ahtiainen (EST) – 51.90
18. Richard Marton (HUN) – 52.08

The 100 Butterfly LCM world champion Maxime Grousset dominated heat 2, posting a time of 49.67 to take the win by well over a second. Grousset took the race out strong, splitting 23.06 through the first 50. He closed in 26.61 with a strong last turn, while Michele Busa of Italy touched in 50.88 as the next closest competitor. The time for Grousset held up for the 2nd fastest time of the morning, while the time by Busa ranked 8th overall.

Jacob Peters of Great Britain took the penultimate heat out swiftly, turning in 23.04. He held on for the win (50.27), touching out his teammate James Guy by just 0.02. Daniel Gracik touched in 50.52 to grab 3rd in the heat, safely advancing for the semi-finals later this evening.

The time by Guy represents a personal best, lowering his previous mark by a few tenths. This is a great sign for Guy, who recently changed coaches in hopes to elevate his individual results heading into Paris.

Olympic medalist Noe Ponti was victorious in the final heat, taking out the first 50 in 23.16 before posting a final time of 49.14 to secure the fastest time of the morning. His swim narrowly missed the long-standing championship record of 48.93 from 2009.

British swimmer Ed Mildred posted the 5th fastest time of the morning (50.39), but will not get a second swim because he was not among the two fastest from his country.

WOMEN’S 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY – Heats

• World Record: Netherlands (2020) – 1:32.50
• European Record: Netherlands (2020) – 1:32.50
• SC Euros Record: Netherlands (2009) – 1:33.52

Top 8:

1. Great Britain – 1:36.92
2. Italy – 1:37.08
3. Sweden – 1:37.72
4. Denmark – 1:37.80
5. Slovakia – 1:38.52
6. Netherlands – 1:38.88
7. Hungary – 1:39.28
8. Finland – 1:41.17

The top three seeds heading into tonight’s final all came out of heat two. Great Britain led the way, touching in 1:36.92 while Italy (1:37.08) and Sweden (1:37.72) finished closely behind. Anna Hopkin led the Great Britain team off in a time of 23.94, which is faster than the time she posted in the individual event earlier in the session (24.15). Freya Anderson posted a swift anchor (23.99) to secure the heat win for the GB team.

Italy’s quartet of Sara Curtis (24.64), Costanza Cocconcelli (24.23), Silvia Di Pietro (23.84), and Chiara Tarantino (24.37) also look to be in a strong position to challenge for a podium position later today.

MEN’S 4×50 FREESTYLE RELAY – Heats

• World Record: United States (2018) – 1:21.80
• European Record: France (2008) – 1:20.77
• SC Euros Record: France (2008) – 1:20.77

Top 8:

1. Great Britain – 1:23.81
2. Italy – 1:24.16
3. Greece – 1:25.15
4. Netherlands – 1:25.51
5. Hungary – 1:26.43
6. Romania – 1:26.45
7. Finland – 1:26.48
8. Estonia – 1:26.85

The British men had a great swim this morning, as the quartet of Matthew Richards (21.09), Duncan Scott (21.12), Alexander Cohoon (20.89), and Lewis Burras (20.71) touched in 1:23.81 to take down the British record. The previous record time of 1:24.61 was posted at the 2019 Scottish Championships. They will have a great chance to lower the record even further later today, as Ben Proud will likely join the finals squad in place of Scott.

The Italian men qualified 2nd for the final, with Giovanni Izzo (21.44), Alessandro Miressi (20.96), Lorenzo Zazzeri (20.83), and Leonardo Deplano (20.93) combining to post a time of 1:24.16. Expect Thomas Ceccon to join the team later today, as he posted a split of 20.67 on their silver medal winning relay at the 2022 World Championships in Melbourne.

Hometown hero David Popovici featured on the Romanian relay this morning, leading off the team in a time of 21.54. It was a national record for Romania, as the relay clipped 0.02 off the previous national record of 1:26.47 from 2015. The Romanian relay will feature again in tonight’s final, as they qualified through in 6th position.

WOMEN’S 800 FREESTYLE – Heats

• World Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 7:57.42 (2022)
• European Record: Mireia Belmonte (ESP) – 7:59.34 (2013)
• SC Euros Record: Alessia Filippi (ITA) – 8:04.53 (2008)

Top 8:

1. Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (FRA) – 8:14.37
2. Simona Quadarella (ITA) – 8:21.45
3. Ajna Kesely (HUN) – 8:21.51
4. Nora Fluck (HUN) – 8:30.48
5. Grace Palmer (BEL) – 8:33.56
6. Hakkarainen Ada (FIN) – 8:35.55
7. Diana-Gabriela Stiger (ROU) – 8:35.70
8. Sarah Dumont (BEL) – 8:36.29

Italian distance star Simona Quadarella cruised to the win in heat one, posting a time of 8:21.45 to win by nearly ten seconds.

The defending champion, Anastasiia Kirpichnikova, clocked a time of 8:14.37 to win heat two and qualify 1st for the final. Kirpichnikova touched the wall 1st at the 2021 edition of these championships (8:04.65) while representing Russia, and has a shot to make it two in a row tomorrow night.

Note that the final for this event will not take place tonight, but will feature during the day two finals session.