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Kenzo Simons Becomes First Dutchman Under 21 Seconds In SC 50 Free

2019 DUTCH SHORT COURSE CHAMPIONSHIPS

18-year-old Kenzo Simons already lowered the World Junior Record in the short course meters 50 freestyle during the morning heats in Tilburg, but the teen took things to an entirely new level come tonight’s final.

Racing on the final day of the 2019 Dutch Short Course Championships, Simons produced a morning effort of 21.16 to not only claim the top seed but also overtake the previous WJR of 21.24 that Russian dynamo Kliment Kolesnikov registered at the 2017 edition of the European Short Course Championships.

During the final this evening, the European Junior Championships medalist busted out a monster mark of 20.98 to lower the aforementioned WJR even further, but also establish a new Dutch Senior National Record. His time cruised right by the former Dutch standard of 21.05 Jesse Puts posted for the gold at the 2016 Short Course World Championships.

As such, with his gold medal-worthy performance tonight, Simons became the first Dutchman to ever delve under the 21-second barrier in the SCM 50 freestyle.

After his swim, the De Dolfijn squad member said, “This was the perfect race. It couldn’t have been better.”

Simons also posted a new Dutch Age Record for 18-year-olds in the 50m fly, taking gold in 23.08. He was also a member of the Dutch national record-breaking men’s 4x100m free relay, teaming up with Puts, Bart Sommeling and Thom de Boer. Their time of 3:10.85 included a scorching 3rd leg of 46.77 by Simons, easily the fastest split of the entire field.

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nuotofan
4 years ago

Simons (2001) is the first swimmer born in the new millennium to dip under the 21″ barrier, but good improvements in these latest months also from four other young European swimmers: Selin, Bukhov, Shchegolev and Richards (the most improved in the shorter distance), all born in 2002, so still juniors for the whole 2020.

Jeroen
4 years ago

Goosebumps all over, watching this race!!

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Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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