European Games; Day One Prelims

Inaugural European Games; Baku, Azerbaijan

• Tuesdays June 23– Saturday June 27, 2015
• Baku Aquatic Centre, Baku, Azerbaijan
• Prelims: 12:30 am EST; Finals: 8:30 am EST
• Start lists, timeline and results can be found here.

Event Program

Event 50, 100 and 200 meter events will all be swum as prelim, semi-final and final. The semi-final and final of the 50 events will be swum on the same evening.

Tuesday

• Women’s 50 breaststroke
• Men’s 50 butterfly
• Women’s 100 freestyle
• Men’s 400 freestyle
• Women’s 200 butterfly
• Men’s 100 backstroke
• Women’s 400 IM
• Men’s 200 breaststroke
• Women’s 200 backstroke
• Men’s 4 x 100 freestyle
• Women’s 4 x 100 freestyle
• Women’s 800 freestyle

The first day of prelims of the inaugural European Games began with Russian Maria Astashkina qualifying with the fastest time in the women’s 50 breaststroke. Astashkina, the 2014 European Junior champion in the 50, 100 and 200 breaststroke, posted a 31.84 beating her lifetime best of 31.90.

The women’s 100 freestyle looks like it may be as exciting as many thought. Heading into the women’s semi-final Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands and Arina Openysheva of Russia both hit the wall in a time of 55.18, tying for this morning’s fastest qualifying time.

Steenbergen entered the competition with the fastest time in the event of 54.07 which she recently recorded at the Dutch Junior and Youth Championships.

Great Britain had the top two qualifiers in the women’s 200 butterfly. Holly Hibbott qualified first posting a lifetime best of 2:12.07 followed by Amelia Clynes who recorded a 2:13.15. Clynes took the bronze in this event at the European Junior Championships last summer.

Two British women also qualified in the top three in the women’s 400 IM. Abbie Wood of Great Britain was the fastest qualifier touching in a time of 4:45.61 she was followed by Italian Ilaria Cusinato who hit the wall in a time of 4:46.84. Wood’s teammate Georgia Coates, who took the bronze in this event at the European Juniors last summer qualified third with a time of 4:48.06.

Maxine Wolters of Germany was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 200 backstroke posting a time of 2:11.93.

The top three qualifiers in the men’s 50 butterfly all posted lifetime best times. Roman Shevliakov of Russia was the fastest qualifier recording a time of 24.10. Croatian Bruno Blaskovic was the next fastest qualifier finishing in a time of 24.13 followed by Russian Daniil Pakhomov who touched in a time of 24.20.

The men’s 400 freestyle could be an extremely tight race this evening as the top eight men were only separated by 95 one-hundredths of a second. German Henning Muehlleitner was the fastest qualifier posting a 3:54.75 while his teammate Paul Hentschel was the final qualifier hitting the wall in a time of 3:55.70.

Luke Greenbank of Great Britain was the top qualifier in the men’s 100 backstroke putting up a time of 55.12. Greenbank beat his lifetime best of 55.33.

Marek Ulrich of Germany qualified second in a time of 55.45 followed by Greenbank’s teammate Joe Hulme who recorded a 55.74.

The overwhelming favourite in the men’s 200 breaststroke, Russian Anton Chupkov was the top qualifier in the prelims recording a time of 2:11.52. He was followed by Luke Davies of Great Britain who touched in a time of 2:12.75 and Egor Suchkov of Russia who finished in a time of 2:14.58.