2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
- Budapest, Hungary
- Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
- Event Site
- Entry List
- Live Results
- Live Stream
Reported by James Sutherland.
WOMEN’S 200 BREAST FINAL
- European Record: 2:19.11, Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2013 – WR
- European Championship Record: 2:19.84, Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2014
- FINA ‘A’ Cut: 2:25.52
- Molly Renshaw (GBR), 2:21.34
- Lisa Mamie (SUI), 2:22.05
- Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2:22.16.
British star Molly Renshaw took control of the women’s 200 breaststroke final on the second 50, opening up an eight tenths of a second lead on the field to ultimately earn the victory by a similar margin in 2:21.34.
Renshaw, 25, now has a full set of medals in this event at the European Championships, having won silver in 2014 and bronze in 2018. She owns a best time of 2:20.89, the British Record, set in April.
In an incredibly tight battle for silver, Switzerland’s Lisa Mamie had yet another massive drop to claim second in a National Record time of 2:22.05, lowering her mark of 2:23.15 set in the semis. Mamie edged out defending champion Yuliya Efimova (2:22.16), who held off her 16-year-old Russian teammate Evgeniia Chikunova (2:22.17) by a mere hundredth. Mamie’s medal marks Switzerland’s first-ever in this event.
Abbie Wood, who had hit a 2:21.86 in the semis, fell to fifth in 2:22.78. Spain’s Jessica Vall‘s streak of three straight medals (bronze in 2014, silvers in 2016 and 2018), ends after finishing eighth in 2:25.84.