Belgium has announced its rosters for the European Championships as well as for the European Junior Championships, both to happen over this coming summer.
The country will bring a squad of 16 to Berlin for the European Championships, including relay-only swimmers. The list is below:
European Champs Squad
Women:
Jolien Sysmans
Fanny Lecluyse
Kimberly Buys
Maalke Ramael (relay-only)
Men:
Francois Heersbrandt
Jasper Aerents
Yoris Grandjean
Pieter Timmers
Emmanuel van Luchene
Glenn Surgeloose
Louis Croenen
Lander Hendrickx
Nils van Audekerke
Egon van der Straeten
Timothy Deolet (relay-only)
Ken Cortens (relay-only)
Belgium will try to break a nearly-14-year-long streak without a medal at the European Championships. The last Belgian medals came in 2000, when the women took home a silver and two bronzes between relays and the 400 IM.
But this should be one of the better Belgian teams in a while, though, as this roster has a solid lineup of national record holders. Pieter Timmers is one of the better medal hopes on the men’s side – he’s the national record holder in the 100 and 200 frees, and has been 48.5 in the 100.
Kimberly Buys holds no less than 6 long course national records on the women’s side, and will compete in the 50 and 100 flys at Euros, which happen in August in Berlin, Germany.
You can view the full roster and each swimmer’s event entries here.
For the European Junior Championships team, Belgium will send 10 athletes, 9 men and 1 woman. Nils van Audekerke is the only swimmer represented on both teams.
European Junior Championships Squad
Boys:
Alexis Borisavijevic
Basten Caerts
Thomas Dal
Thomas Thijs
Alexander Trap
Nils van Audekerke
Dries van Goetsenhoven
Logan van Huys
Lorenz Weiremans
Girls:
Lise Michels
Belgium hasn’t medaled at the European Junior Championships since 2010, when they brought home two silvers and two bronzes on the men’s side. Euro Juniors will take place this July in Dordrecht, Netherlands.