2024 ACROPOLIS OPEN
- Friday, April 26th – Sunday, April 28th
- Athens Olympic Aquatic Center, Athens, Greece
- LCM (50m)
- Olympic Qualification Event
- Prize $ Breakdown
- Live Results
The 2024 Acropolis Open kicked off today from Athens with swimmers representing the host nation competing against swimmers from the Netherlands, Canada, Turkey and beyond.
The 3-day competition is World Aquatics-approved as an Olympic qualifying event while cash is also on the line for athletes who can get to the wall first.
28-year-old Kylie Masse of Canada established a new meet record en route to grabbing gold in the women’s 200m back.
The 2020 Olympic Games multi-medalist stopped the clock at 2:09.16 to hold a healthy advantage over the next-closest swimmer Africa Zamorano of Spain.
Zamorano touched in 2:10.92 while Turkey’s Sudeb Denizli rounded out the podium in 2:13.47.
Masse’s result dipped under the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 2:10.39 needed for Paris, although she’ll need to put up this caliber of performance at the Canadian Olympic Trials in May.
At the Spanish Open in February, Masse put up a season-best of 2:08.44 in this 2back event to rank 14th in the world on the season.
The men’s 200m back saw winner Apostolos Siskos come oh-so-close to Paris qualification as he earned the gold.
Sisko touched in 1:57.51, falling only .01 shy of the OQT of 1:57.50. The good news is that Siskos had already nabbed an OQT, courtesy of the 1:56.64 lifetime best he posted in the prelims of the event at this year’s World Championships. There in Doha, he ultimately placed 6th in that same time.
Apostolos Christou was right behind Siskos tonight in 1:57.59 while 100m back world record holder Thomas Ceccon of Italy bagged the bronze in 1:57.65.
Additional Notes
- Dutch ace Kira Toussiant led a trio of 55-point women’s 100m freestylers with the Olympian logging 55.02 as the gold medalist. Cypriot Kalia Antoniou was net to the wall in 55.03 and Italy’s newly-minted 50m freestyle national record holder Sara Curtis earned the bronze in 55.334.
- Alba Vazquez Ruiz of Spain took the women’s 400m IM by 3 seconds, clocking 4:42.04 for the victory.
- Turkey’s Berkay Ogretir scored the sole time of the men’s 100m breast field under the minute barrier. Ogretir posted 59.70 (27.86/31.84) to get it done for gold.
Kylie went 28.04 this morning in the 50 prelims.
Kylie is 28, not 29. She was born in 1996.
Wow, she is washed. That is not a good time
She’s not a fast in season swimmer. I’m not too worried about her.
Whether she is past her best 200 days or not, what a disrespectful comment to one of the great backstrokers in history, not to mention one of the best character teammates any country could ever hope to have.
At 29 she may be in her ‘norm’ for in season times, or again the 200 may be beyond her reach at this stage. Regardless never count her out, and we’ll see where she’s at come Canadian trials in a month.
What a hateful ignorant comment.
This is so dumb. Are we expecting swimmers to stay at their peak times forever. She’s been at/near the top of the world standings since 2016! Of course she’s going to decline at some point.
Plus, she’s never been as natural a 200 swimmer as a 50/100 swimmer. She came up the distance really well during her peak (2017-2021) but it’s not her best distance.
Masse with her International success must be respected, though she is 29 now. I see her doing well in the 1 back.
I’m still trying to decide whether she wins an individual medal in Paris. Gold and silver both seem completely out of reach. Her biggest competition will likely be the second American in both 100 and 200 but there are also other medal contenders out there.
Regan might be off her best, so maybe silver could be up for grabs. But yeah not winning gold.
I believe that after having worked with Bob for over a year and a half, they might have learned what taper works for Regan based on her current training. I believe she will be faster than at the 2023 World Champs.
I predict she won’t win individual medal.