Both the Danish Eastern and Western Short Course Championships began on October 24th. The competitions are both last chance qualifiers for the Short Course World Championships in Doha.
The following athletes have already qualified for the Short Course World Championships:
- Jeanette Ottesen, Lyngby Svømmeklub / NTC
- Pernille Blume, Sigma Swim Birkeroed / NTC
- Rikke Møller Pedersen, Herning Svømmeklub / NTC
- Lotte Friis, Sigma Swim Allerød / USA
- Mie Nielsen, Aalborg Svømmeklub
- Chris Christensen, Herning Svømmeklub
- Viktor Bromer, Aalborg Svømmeklub
- Mads Glæsner, Sigma Swim Allerød / USA
- Julie Levisen, Aalborg Svømmeklub
The highlight of the first evening occurred at the Eastern Championships where Julie Aglund Luaridsen first took the 400 freestyle in a time of 4:06.73, winning the event by almost four seconds, but missing the qualifying standard for Doha by 62 one-hundredths of a second. In the very next event Luaridsen once again took to the pool in the 400 IM winning the event in a time of 4:38.90, this time qualifying for a trip to the world championships.
Jeanette Ottesen posted a 24.70 in the 50 freestyle and a 26.07 in the 50 butterfly in the prelims and did not participate in either final.
The winners of the time final events on day one at the Eastern Championships were:
- 400 freestyle – Pal Joensen – 3:51.06
- 400 IM – Viktor Christensen – 4:33.36
The winners of the time final events on day one at the Western Championships were:
- Women’s 400 freestyle – Line Bruun Jorgensen – 4:10.37
- Men’s 400 freestyle – Frans Johannessen – 3:48.35
- Women’s 400 IM – Julie Levison – 4:49.43
- Men’s 400 IM – Nicolas Blanch – 4:24.17
At the Eastern Championships, although already qualified for the World Championships, Pernille Blume and Rikke Moller Pedersen were the only swimmers under the qualifying times for Doha. Blume took the women’s 50 freestyle in a time of 24.74 while Pedersen won the 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:06.09.
Magnus Jakupsson took two events on the second evening winning the 100 backstroke in a time of 53.41 and the 100 IM in a time of 57.59.
There was a tremendous race in the women’s 200 freestyle between Christina Munkolm and May Howardsen. Munkholm took the event in a time of 2:01.49 followed by Howardsen who touched in a time of 2:01.59.
The women’s 100 IM was closely contested as Christina Kaas Elmgreen took the event in a time of 1:04.26 followed by Maja Nielsen who posted a time of 1:04.45 and Hannah Strunge Nissen who touched in a time of 1:04.67.
After winning the women’s 400 IM on the first evening of competition Julie Levisen returned to the water and took her second and third titles at the Western Championships. Levison won the women’s 50 freestyle posting a time of 25.93 and the women’s 100 IM recording a time of 1:05.34.
Christian Rasmussen also took two events on the evening winning the men’s 100 breaststroke posting a time of 1:03.93 and the men’s 100 IM recording a time of 58.50.
Full results for the Western Championships can be found here.
Full results for the Eastern Championships can be found here.