Lecluyse Clears 2Breast World Championships QT To Close Out Belgian Open

2019 BELGIAN OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Friday, May 17th – Sunday, May 19th
• Olympic Swimming Center Wezenberg, Antwerp, Belgium
• LCM
• Belgian 2019 World Championships Selection Criteria
• SwimSwam Meet Preview
• Start List
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Live Results

With Pieter Timmers having already qualified for this summer’s World Championships in Gwangju with his 48.32 100m freestyle mark from the FINA Champions Series, the Olympic silver medalist in the event was absent from today’s field in Antwerp.

In his stead, Sebastian De Meulemeester took the 100m free crown on the final night of the Belgian Open Swimming Championships, topping the podium in a time of 49.67. Unfortunately for De Meulemeester, a minimum mark of 48.80 was needed to clinch a World Championships berth in the individual event.

The women’s side saw a qualifier, however, as Valentine Dumont notched her 2nd Belgian national record in as many days. First firing off a time of 55.43 in the morning, followed by 55.33 in the event, the 18-year-old took gold in a Gwangju-worthy time, doubling up on her 400m freestyle gold medal from last night. You can read more about Dumont’s 100m free national record here.

Fanny Lecluyse also got the job done for the women. Opting to go all-in during this morning’s heats, the 27-year-old veteran powered her way to to the wall in a mighty 2:24.97, a time within a second of her own 2:23.77 national record set at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan.

Splitting 1:10.47/1:14.50 this morning, Lecluyse’s time clears the 2:25.91 minimum needed to qualify for this summer’s World Championships, as well as checks-in as her 2nd fastest of the season. She already owns a season-best of 2:24.73 from January’s Flanders Cup, a time that ranks her 16th in the world.

Additional Winners on Night 3:

• David Horvath took the top of the men’s 200m beast podium in a time of 2:16.43.
• Dutch swimmer Tessa Vermeulen won the women’s 50m back in 28.94, while Hungary’s Adam Telegdy did the same for the men in 25.75.
• Former 100m freestyle national record holder for Belgium, Kimberly Buys, earned gold in the women’s 50m fly in 26.67, while Germany’s Stefano Razeto cleared the men’s field in the event in 24.91.
• The men’s 800m freestyle saw Logan Vanhuys hit the wall in 8:07.74.
• Although Hungary’s teen titan Ajna Kesely took the women’s 1500m free in a time of 16:38.29, Belgium’s Lucie Hunquet earned a European Junior Championships qualifying mark of 17:11.59 en route to silver.