Amsterdam Cup 2015 Day 2 Prelims Recap: Dekker First To Rio

2015 AMSTERDAM CUP

• Friday, December 11- Sunday, 13th
• Sloterparkbad of Amsterdam (LCM)
• Prelims at 8:45am local/2:45am Eastern; Finals at 3:30pm local/9:30am Eastern
• Entry Lists
• Event Schedule
• Results

Inge Dekker is the first Dutch swimmer to qualify for the Rio Olympics after recording a 57.68 to lead prelims in the 100 butterfly. There have been a few close calls already at this year’s Amsterdam Cup, the first chance for Dutch swimmers to qualify. The 30 year old will now be a four time Olympian. She was well under the qualifying time of 58.19.

That swim came just after Joeri Verlinden just missed making the Rio standard. His 52.02 is just .06 from the standard- for now he will have to console himself with European Championships qualifying and another chance tonight. Verlinden will have good competition tonight from 50 butterfly winner Konrad Czerniak, who qualified second this morning.

In the 400 freestyle, Ferry Weertman will make the squad if he just improves slightly from his performance last year at the same competition. He sits in second in that event behind Spain’s Miguel Duran, with fellow Dutch swimmer Maarten Brzoskowski also taking a shot at Rio tonight and 1500 champ Marc Sanchez also in the final.

Mireia Belmonte had two conservative swims again in the preliminary, expect her to go significantly faster in both races tonight. She qualified second behind teammate Melania Costa in the 400 free and nabbed second as well in the 200 IM behind Simona Baumrtova.

Moniek Nijhuis put herself within striking range of both European and Olympic qualifying with her leading time in the 100 breaststroke (1:08.12). Nijhuis certainly showed enough speed to win the 50 yesterday and is in the best form she’s had since setting a Dutch senior record in 2009.

Adam Peaty was well out in front in the 100 breaststroke, the only swimmer under 1:00 or 1:01 for that matter. Only Giedrus Titenis has any chance to push Peaty tonight with no Dutch swimmers anywhere near the 1:00.38 it will take to make Rio.

Two meet records were set by foreign swimmers. Despite struggling in the 100 yesterday, Florent Manadou was still able to outclass the field in the 50 freestyle, scoring the top seed a half second ahead of the next closest competition in 21.87. Philip Heintz was similarly ahead of his competitors in the 200 IM (1:58.77).

Both those swims are ranked top five in the world. While Manadou has swum significantly faster, Heintz was just .6 from his personal best in the race.