The Netherlands has announced a roster of 17 swimmers for the 2014 European Championships in Berlin, Germany following the conclusion of the Eindhoven Cup a few weeks ago, as well as 13 for the European Junior Championships that they will host.
As is the usual in the Netherlands, the women’s team brings much greater firepower than the men’s team does, with the likes of Inge Dekker, Femke Heemskerk, and Ranomi Kromowidjojo, among others.
Absent from the roster, however, is Elise Bouwens, who was the 4th-leg of their bronze-medal winning 400 free relay at last year’s World Championships. Also missing is Esmee Vermeulen, who was an alternate on that relay.
Filling that spot this year will be 21-year old Maud van der Meer, who the Dutch have been hoping would become their next big sprinter for years. She was a 54.82 in the 100 free at the Eindhoven Cup, and that was enough to give the Dutch confidence that now was the right time for her to return to the Dutch international roster – her first at a major senior meet since Worlds in 2011.
The men’s team, meanwhile, have a medal-worthy 800 free relay going it would seem. Between Dion Dreesens, Sebastiaan Verschuren, Joost Reijns, and Ferry Weertman, this relay aggregates to at least a 7:08, and possibly they could go as low as 7:06 or so. That would contend with the Russians, the French, and maybe the Germans for the event title in that race.
Neither the Dutch men nor the Dutch women have won a gold medal in swimming at the long course European Championships since their huge 4-gold, 10-medal haul in 2008.
European Championships – Berlin, Germany – August 18-24
Men
Maarten Brzoskowski,
Dion Dreesens
Bastiaan Lijesen
Joost Reijns
Marcel Schouten
Joeri Verlinden
Sebastiaan Verschuren
Ferry Weertman
Women
Maaike de Waard
Inge Dekker
Femke Heemskerk,
Ranomi Kromowidjojo,
Moniek Nijhuis,
Maud van der Meer,
Wendy van der Zanden,
Sharon van Rouwendaal
Esmee Vermeulen.
European Junior Championships – Netherlands – July 9-13
Boys
Kyle Stolk
Mathys Goosen
Ben Schwietert
Peter Rothengatter
Stan Pijnenburg
Yoran Klos
Girls
Kim Busch
Tessa Vermeulen
Pien Schravesande
Frederique Janssen
Marieke Tienstra
Valerie van Roon