At the conclusion of a Belgian Open meet touted for record-setting participation, Belgium named just 2 swimmers to its 2018 World Short Course Championships team: Fanny Lecluyse and Emmanuel Vanluchene.
That’s the fewest they’ve sent since 2012, when sprinter Francois Heersbrandt was the country’s only representative in Istanbul.
Lecluyse is a veteran of this meet, having raced in each of the last two editions. In 2016, that included an 8th-place finish in the 50 breaststroke (30.45), and a 6th-place finish in the 200 breaststroke (2:19.96). That 200 breaststroke is her best event – she was the 2015 European Champion in short course meters.
For the 2018 championship, she’s entered in the 50, 100, and 200 breaststrokes, as well as the 100 and 200 IMs.
Vanluchene, meanwhile, didn’t swim at the 2016 Short Course World Championships, but did race in Doha in 2014. There, his best finish was a 9th-place semi-finals swim in the 100 IM (52.63).
Belgian Swimmers’ Daily Schedule – 2018 Short Course World Championships:
- Tuesday, December 11th – W 50 breaststroke (Lecluyse)
- Wednesday, December 12th – M 100 fly (Vanluchene)
- Wednesday, December 12th – W 100 breaststroke (Lecluyse)
- Thursday, December 13th – M 100 IM (Vanluchene)
- Thursday, December 13th – W 100 IM (Lecluyse)
- Saturday, December 15th – W 200 IM (Lecluyse)
- Saturday, December 15th – M 100 free (Vanluchene)
- Sunday, December 16th – W 200 breast (Lecluyse)
Belgium has won 1 medal in the entire history of the Short Course World Championships: a bronze in the inaugural edition in 1993 in the 200 breaststroke from Stefaan Maene.
The team will fly into Hangzhou (via Hong Kong) on December 7th, and depart the way they came on December 18th. Horatiu Droc will serve as the team’s coach: part of a staff of 3 that will accompany just 2 swimmers.
Number of Belgians Participating, by Edition:
- 1993 – 3
- 1995 – 1
- 1997 – 0
- 1999 – 3
- 2000 – 1
- 2002 – 4
- 2004 – 0
- 2006 – 1
- 2008 – 2
- 2010 – 4
- 2012 – 1
- 2014 – 8
- 2016 – 9
- 2018 – 2