Belgian swimmers had to battle their national federation to earn their spot at the 2022 Short Course World Championships taking place next week in Melbourne, Australia.
After the Belgian Swimming Federation released strict qualifying criteria in September, no swimmers met the new standards at the Belgian Championships two months later. All except three of the requisite qualifying times were faster than national records.
So 20-year-old Belgian swimmer Fleur Vermeiren sued, and the Belgian Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed with her argument, reverting back to FINA criteria instead of the federation’s new standards. The decision noted that the Belgian Swimming Federation needs to release their new qualifying times before the swimming season begins and must not deviate substantially from past criteria.
The ruling opened the door for Vermeiren to make Belgium’s short course Worlds roster along with Florine Gaspard, Alisee Pisane, and Valentine Dumont. Pisane was initially named to the team, but she no longer appears on the psych sheets in the 800 free or 1500 free.
In her second appearance at short course Worlds, the 22-year-old Dumont is set to swim the 100 free (53.81), 200 free (1:55.34), and 400 free (4:01.84). Gaspard, 20, is entered in the 50 breast (29.70) as the No. 10 seed as well as the 100 breast (1:05.45) in her second trip to short course Worlds. Vermeiren will compete in the 50 breast (30.22) with Gaspard for her short course Worlds debut.
The reversal is also relevant for the 2023 World Championships as Belgian swimmers will now have a better chance of qualifying for the long-course meet in Fukuoka, Japan, as well.
This is somewhat of a transitional period in Belgian swimming as two of their highest-profile swimmers recently retired between Fanny Lecluyse and Pieter Timmers. In June, Fred Vergnoux took over as head coach of the Belgian Swimming Federation.
Good for them. The A cut and first at trials should alwyad be sufficient and swimming will never grow if national bodies get to be judge and jury on who gets a place and who doesn’t.
Es una pena como Fred intenta destrozar la natación belga al igual que hizo con la natación española poniendo mínimas imposibles e inaccesibles para la gran mayoría de nadadores. Con esas mínimas no puede progresar un país.
En España, ha sido irse él y la natación ya parece que tiene otro color. Deseando de que empiece el campeonato del mundo para ver qué pueden hacer