2014 European Championships – Day 6 Finals Live Recaps

2014 LEN EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, August 13-Sunday, August 24, 2014 (pool swimming Monday, 8/18-Sunday 8/24)
• The Velodrom, Berlin, Germany
• Local time: Prelims 9:30am, Finals 6pm (Monday-Thursday), 4pm (Friday-Sunday)
• Meet website
• Event schedule
• Live stream
• Live results

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE- FINAL

• 2012 European Champ: 16:05.34 – Mireia Belmonte Garcia – Spain
• 2010 European Champ: 15:59.13 – Lotte Friis – Denmark
• Meet Record: 15:58.54 – Flavia Rigamonti – Switzerland – 2008
• World Record: 15:34.23 – Katie Ledecky – United States – 2014
• European Record: 15:38.88 – Lotte Friis – Denmark – 2013

Spaniard Mireia Belmonte Garcia led off the evening by defending her European title by taking the women’s 1500 freestyle in a time of 15:57.29. She was able to down both her own Spanish record of 15:58.03 and the championships record of 15:58.54 which was set in 2008 by Flavia Rigamonti of Switzerland.

Martina Rita Caramignoli of Italy led the race up to the 800 meter mark which is when Belmonte took the lead, on that she would not relinquish. Carmaignoli was then overtaken at the 1100 meter mark by Boglarka Kapas of Hungary, who eventually finished second in a time of 16:03.04. Kapas just missed her own Hungarian national record of 16:02.58.

Carmignoli finished third in a time of 16:05.98.

WOMEN’S 50 BREAST – SEMI-FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Petra Chocova, Czech Republic, 31.25
• 2010 European Champ: Yuliya Efimova, Russia, 30.29
• Meet Record: Yuliya Efimova, Russia, 30.29 – 2010
• World Record: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 29.48 – 2013
• European Record: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 29.48 – 2013

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte swam her first event since arriving in Berlin from Nanjing where she competed in the Youth Olympic Games. In Nanjing Meilutyte t00k gold in the 50 breaststroke in a time of 30.14, tonight she posted a 29.88 to go into tomorrow night’s final as the top qualifier. Her time erases the meet record of 30.29 set by Yuliya Effimova in 2010.

Meilutyte dominated the field finishing in a time that was almost a full second ahead of her next competitor.

Jennie Johansson of Sweden finished second to Meilutyte in the second semi-final posting a 30.74 which was the second fastest time of the evening.

Dorothea Brandt of Germany took the first semi-final in a time of 30.83 followed by Moniek Nijhuis of the Netherlands who recorded a time of 30.98.

MEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: 51.45 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia
• 2010 European Champ: 51.73 – Yevgeny Korotyshkin – Russia
• Meet Record: 51.45 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia – 2012
• World Record: 49.82 – Michael Phelps – United States – 2009
• European Record: 49.95 – Milorad Cavic – Serbia – 2009

Konrad Czerniak of Poland led the men’s 100 butterfly from start to finish, winning the event in a time of 51.38. Czerniak broke the championship record of 51.45 set by Serbian Milorad Cavic set in 2012. The time was also a season’s best moving him into the fourth place position in the world rankings.

Hungarian Laszlo Cseh made it hard on himself, turning eighth at the 50 meter mark, but eventually passed everyone in the field excluding Czerniak to take the silver in a time of 51.89. The time for Cseh is a season’s best, but off his lifetime best of 51.45 which he posted last summer at the world championships.

Pavel Sankovich of Belarus collected the bronze in a time of 51.92.

WOMEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – Semifinals

• 2012 European Champ:  1:56.26 – Federica Pellegrini – Italy
• 2010 European Champ: 1:55.45 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy
• Meet Record: 1:55.45 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010
• World Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010
• European Record: 1:52.98 – Federica Pelligrini – Italy – 2010

The women’s 200 freestyle final was not an extremely fast race, but it was an exciting one. Hungarian Katinka Hosszu led for the first half of the race turning in a time of 56.60, followed closely by Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands and Italian Federica Pelligrini. After that point Pelligrini took over the lead one she would not relinquish finishing in a time of 1:56.01.

Hosszu and Heemskerk battled for the silver in the final 100 meters while Spaniard Melanie Costa Schmid made a push in the final 50 meters vying for a spot on the medal podium. In the end Hosszu finished second in a time of 1:56.69 followed by Heemskerk who collected the bronze in a time of 1:56.81. Costa finished fourth in a time of 1:56.92.

Splits:

• Pelligrini – 27.52/56.78 (29.26)/1:26.47 (29.69)/1:56.01 (29.54)
• Hosszu – 27.14/56.60 (29.46)/1:26.62 (30.02)/1:56.69 (30.07)
• Heemskerk – 27.27/56.69 (29.42)/1:26.65 (29.96)/1:56.81 (30.16)
• Costa – 27.72/57.13 (29.41)/1:27.13 (30.00)/1:56.92 (29.79)

MEN’S 50 FREE – SEMI-FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.80
• 2010 European Champ: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.49
• Meet Record: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.36 – 2010
• World Record: Cesar Cielo, Brazil, 20.91 – 2009
• European Record: Frederick Bousquet, France, 20.94 – 2009

Florent Manaudou of France took the 100 freestyle earlier in the competition and has set himself up for the opportunity to sweep the sprint events by qualifying for the 50 freestyle final in the top time of 21.57. The time is a season’s best for Manaudou and puts him fifth in the world rankings.

Commonwealth champion Ben Proud of Great Britain posted the second fastest time of 21.94.

Kristian Gkolomeev of Greece had the third fastest qualifying of the evening winning the second semi-final in a time of 21.96. That marks the first time a Greek swimmer has broken the 22 second barrier as Gkolomeev erasing the Greek national record of 22.08 set by Ioannis Kalargaris in 2012.

Ukrainian Andiry Govorov qualified third in a time of 22.02.

WOMEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: 28.25 – Mercedes Peris – Spain
• 2010 European Champ:  27.64 – Aliaksandra Herasimenia – Belarus
• Meet Record: 27.64 – Aliaksandra Herasimenia – Belarus – 2010
• World Record: 27.06 – Jhao Jing – China – 2009
• European Record: 27.23 – Daniela Samulski – Germany – 2009

In the semi-finals of the women’s 50 backstroke British teammates Georgia Davies and Fran Halsall had a head to head battle with Davies coming out on top by six one-hundredths of a second. This evening in what was a thrilling 50 backstroke final the two went head to head once again, but this time Halsall got the better of Davies beating her by one one-hundredth of a second.

Halsall took the event in a time of 27.81 followed by Commonwealth gold medalist Davies who finished in a time of 27.82. After tying for the 100 backstroke gold Mie Neilsen of Denmark was in on another photo finish winning the bronze in a time of 27.87.

MEN’S 200 BACKSTROKE – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: 1:55.28 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland
• 2010 European Champ: 1:57.18 – Stanislav Donets – Russia
• Meet Record: 1:55.28 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland – 2012
• World Record: 1:51.92 – Aaron Peirsol – United States – 2009
• European Record: 1:54.24 – Radoslaw Kawecki – Poland – 2013

German Christian Diener made a valiant attempt to bring home gold for the hometown crowd. Diener led the men’s 200 backstroke for three quarters of the race turning at the 150 mark 14 one-hundredths of a second ahead of defending European champion Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland. Kawecki was not ready to give up his title swimming the final 50 meters more over a second faster than the German touching in a time of 1:56.02.

It was a season’s best for Kawecki which puts him eighth in the world rankings.

Diener finished second in a time of 1:57.16.

The battle for the bronze was a good one with Gabor Balog collecting the medal in a time of 1:57.42 just ahead of his Hungarian teammate Peter Bernek who touched in a time of 1:57.47.

WOMEN’S 200 FLY – SEMI-FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:07.28
• 2010 European Champ: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:06.71
• Meet Record: Otylia Jedrzejczak, Poland, 2:05.78 – 2002
• World Record: Liu Zige, China, 2:01.81 – 2009
• European Record: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:04.27 – 2009

Not long after taking the gold in the women’s 1500 freestyle Mireia Belmonte Garcia returned to the water qualifying for the 200 butterfly final with the top time of 2:06.53. Judit Ignacio Sorribes finished second to her Spanish teammate in the second semi-final posting a time of 2:07.44. She was followed by Martina van Berkel of Switzerland who touched in a time of 2:08.45.

Katinka Hosszu took the first semi-final in a time of 2:08.83 and will head into the final with the third fastest qualifying time.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: 27.32 – Damir Dugonjic – Slovenia
• 2010 European Champ: 27.38 – Fabio Scozolli – Italy
• Meet Record: 26.62 – Adam Peaty – Great Britain – 2014
• World Record: 26.62 – Adam Peaty – Great Britain – 2014
• European Record: 26.62 – Adam Peaty – Great Britain – 2014

Adam Peaty of Great Britain brought the house down yesterday in the semi-final of the men’s 50 breaststroke as he set a new world record qualifying for the final in a time of 26.62. Peaty was not able to match that feat in tonight’s final, but will walk away with the European championship title, winning the event in a time of 27.00.

Lithuanian Giedrius Titenis  took the silver in a season’s best of 27.34. 2012 European champion Damir Dugonjic of Slovenia finished third in a time of 27.48.

WOMEN’S 50 FREE – SEMI-FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Britta Steffen, Germany, 24.37
• 2010 European Champ: Therese Alshammer, Sweden, 24.45
• Meet Record: Marleen Veldhuis, Netherlands, 24.09 – 2008
• World Record: Britta Steffen, Germany, 23.73 – 2009
• European Record: Britta Steffen, Germany, 23.73 – 2009

Just over half an hour after Fran Halsall took the gold in the women’s 50 backstroke the Commonwealth Games champion returned to the pool to win the first semi-final of the women’s 50 freestyle posting a time of 24.45. Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden took the second semi-final in a time of 24.39. The race for the title tomorrow evening should be an exciting one as Halsall and Sjostrom have both swum under the 24 second mark this year and will be eyeing Britta Steffen’s world record as well as the gold.

Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark qualified with the third fastest time of 24.55.

MEN’S 4×200 FREE RELAY – FINALS

• 2012 European Champ: Germany (Biedermann, Colupaev, Rapp, Wallburger), 7:09.17
• 2010 European Champ: Russia (Lobintsev, Izotov, Perunin, Sukhorukov), 7:06.71
• Meet Record: Russia (Lobintsev, Izotov, Perunin, Sukhorukov), 7:06.71 – 2010
• World Record: USA (Phelps, Berens, Walters, Lochte), 6:58.55 – 2009
• European Record: Russia (Lobintsev, Polishuk, Izotov, Sukhorukov), 6:59.15 – 2009

Defending European champions Germany took the men’s 4 x 200 freestyle relay took the event in a time of 7:09.00.

Splits:

• Robin Backhaus – 1:48.52
• Yannick Lebherz – 1:48.73
• Clemens Rapp – 1:46.80
• Paul Biedermann – 1:44.95

The French had the lead going into the final 200 meters, but Clement Mignon could not hold off Biedermann, Alexander Sukorukov or Pieter Timmers. Russia collected the silver in a time of 7:10.29 followed closely by the Belgians who finished in a time of 7:10.39. The French finished fourth in a time of 7:10.81.