2016 EURO MEET
- January 29th-31st
- D’Coque Aquatic Center in Luxembourg
- Friday timed finals at 4pm local (10am EST)
- Saturday prelims at 8am local (2am EST); finals at 5pm local (11am EST)
- Sunday prelims at 8:30am local (2:30am EST); finals at 4pm local (10am EST)
- Meet Site
- Start Lists/Results
- Live Streaming
Three meet records have already fallen in the final day of the 2016 Euro Meet, and many more are sure to come tonight.
Both Katinka Hosszu and Spain’s Mercedes Peris made it under Hosszu’s 2014 29.05 meet record in the 50 back. Hosszu will keep her name in the books, though, coming in just .05 ahead of Peris. Hosszu finished in 28.80, and Peris clocked 28.85.
Two-time Olympian Ilaria Bianchi of Italy showed that Hosszu isn’t the only one at this meet capable of taking down records. Bianchi was the only female 100 butterflier to break one minute, and she came in under Hosszu’s 2014 meet record 59.41 to clock 59.27.
Ukranian swimmer Daryna Zevina posted the third and final meet record of the morning, a 2:10.17 in the 200 backstroke to edge out Ozturk Sonnele‘s 2:10.36 from last year. Zevina finished over three seconds ahead of the field; Hozzsu took second with 2:13.48.
Serbia’s Ivan Lendjer will be tonight’s lane four swimmer in the 100 fly after swimming a 52.93 in prelims. Germany’s Philip Heintz is ranked second with 53.56. However, don’t count out Hungary’s Lazslo Cseh, who is seeded third. This weekend, he’s shown that his prelims strategy is to just make it into the A final. Tonight we’ll see Cseh in full force.
Penn State redshirt and Irish national-teamer Shane Ryan will be the top seed in the men’s 50 back, after clocking 25.90 to be the only swimmer this morning under 26 seconds.
Mireia Belmonte is back. Widely regarded as the greatest Spanish swimmer in history, she was sidelined by a shoulder injury sidelined her for most of 2015, but her 4:11.86 in her signature 400 free shows that she is still a force to be reckoned with. Obviously, this time doesn’t quite hold up with your sub-4:00 Ledeckies of the world (or maybe Ledecky of the world), but out-swimming second-seed Hosszu’s (4:12.44) in January prelims is a good sign.
Serbia’s Velimir Stjepanovic will be the top seed on the men’s side of the 400 with 3:53.05, closely followed by Spain’s Miguel Duran.
Jessica Vall posted the top time in the women’s 100 breast, a 1:09.53. The absence of world record holder Ruta Meilutyte is notable here; she is still recovering from an elbow injury.
Marco Koch of Germany will be the top seed in the men’s 100 breast, after swimming a 1:01.58 in prelims this morning. Koch holds the meet record, a 1:0.64 from 2014, and we can be certain he will be gunning for it tonight.
Luxembourg local Julie Meynen posted this morning’s top time in the 100 free, a 55.48, followed by Jessica Jackson of Great Britain (55.80), and Hosszu (55.93).
Stejepanovic grabbed another top seed in the 100 free with 49.45. Great Britain’s Ben Proud was the only other swimmer under 50, posting 49.60.
Germany’s Christian Diener will be the top seed in the 200 back by a long shot, after his 2:01.29 came in well ahead of second-place Irish swimmer Conor Ferguson‘s 2:03.82.