Marco Koch Swims 2:09 200 Breast, Dutch Records Fall at Eindhoven Cup

2017 EINDHOVEN CUP

• Eindhoven, Netherlands
• April 6-9
• Live results

The first night of the Eindhoven Cup went down tonight, with some of the best swimmers in Europe present this weekend for some spring racing in the Netherlands.

Winning the 200 breast in championship record time was Marco Koch, going 2:09.07 for the win. Koch, of Germany, now ranks 2nd in the world this year, though the #1 time comes from Ippei Watanabe‘s world record 2:06.67 from January, which is well ahead of Koch’s time today.

Arno Kamminga of De Dolfijn finished 2nd in 2:10.34. That takes six tenths off of his previous best (2:10.98), which was also the old Dutch national record. He now ranks 7th in the world.

In the 200 free, Femke Heemskerk of club PSV took the win at 1:56.62, just off of her world #4 time of 1:56.59. Coming in hot out of the B final was Marrit Steenbergen with a new Dutch 17 year age group record time of 1:57.28.

Several women had very fast sprint times in the 50s of stroke. Ranomi Kromowidjojo and Maaike de Waard, both of Dutch club PSV, broke 26 seconds in the 50 fly. Kromowidjojo got the win at 25.85, just over de Waard’s 25.88, as they now rank 3rd and 4th in the world this year.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 50 back, Kira Toussaint broke 28 with a 27.96. She’s representing the University of Tennessee at this meet. Toussaint beat out de Waard (28.06), as the former is now ranked 5th in the world this year. On the men’s side, Marek Ulrich posted a 24.90 for the win, checking in at #3 in the world this year.

Other highlights

• Gergely Gyurta of Hungary topped the field in the men’s 400 IM. His time of 4:18.48 was one of just two men under 4:20. Patrick Staber of Austria went 4:19.31 for 2nd.
• In the women’s 200 breast, Jessica Steiger of Germany went head-to-head with Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse. It was Steiger at the wall in a tight finish, winning at 2:25.84 to Lecluyse’s 2:25.98.