Kamminga Continues Breaststroke Record Siege, Hits 2:07.96 Lifetime Best

FINA WORLD CUP – BUDAPEST

• Friday, October 4th – Sunday, October 6th
• Duna Arena, Budapest, Hungary
• LCM
• Entry List
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Start Lists/Results

23-year-old Arno Kamminga closed out the FINA World Cup Series stop in Budapest, Hungary in style, knocking down another National Record en route to completing his trifecta of breaststroke wins.

Kamminga already nailed new Dutch standards across the 50m breast in 27.00 and the 100m breast in 59.05, ultimately topping the podium here in Budapest in both events. However, the man saved perhaps his best performance for last, wreaking havoc on the men’s 200m breaststroke to seal his dominance in the discipline thus far.

After hitting the wall this morning in a time of 2:08.72 to capture the first seed, Kamminga had already put his own national record of 2:08.48 on notice, sitting within .24 of the mark.

That sub-2:09 outing was produced at this year’s World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, where Kamminga placed 10th overall. Splits for that performance included 1:01.92/1:06.56.

Flash forward to tonight, however, and Kamminga found an entirely new gear on the back half. Spitting 1:02.14/1:05.82, Kamminga blasted the first sub-2:08 time of his career, punching the wall in a winning mark of 2:07.96.

That was enough to hold off Zhang Ruixuan of China who touched in 2:10.23 for silver, while the former World Record holder in this event, Ippei Watanabe, hit the wall well back in a time of 2:11.47 for bronze.

For Kamminga, the Dutch national teamer’s time would have finished 6th in the men’s 200m breast final in Gwangju.