2016 EINDHOVEN SWIM CUP (DUTCH CHAMPIONSHIPS)
- Wednesday April 6th – Sunday April 10th
- Prelims -12:00 pm local (6:00 am EDT/3:00 am PDT); Finals – 9:00 pm local (3:00 pm EDT/12:00 pm PDT)
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The women of the Netherlands could go from not even entering a 4×200 free relay at the 2015 FINA World Championships to contending for a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
The 4×200 free relay became a story on day 1 of the 2016 Eindhoven Cup, where the Netherlands put together arguably its four fastest swimmers in order to secure an Olympic bid in the event. But Day 3 was an even bigger boon to the nation’s prospects, as all four swimmers outperformed their relay splits in the individual 200 free.
The Dutch did not enter a 4×200 free relay into last summer’s world championships, mostly due to a lack of roster options. Of the 2016 relay members, only Femke Heemskerk and Marrit Stenbergen were at the World Championships in 2015, and the 15-year-old Steenbergen was a relay-only swimmer.
That left the Dutch outside the first round of Rio relay qualifying, as the top 12 from Worlds were guaranteed an Olympic bid.
Now, the next 4 fastest times in the world ranks from last May through this May will earn the final 4 Olympic entries, and the Netherlands have all but clinched the first of those four spots after going 7:52.06 in Eindhoven.
That’s because the rest of the relay has finally come of age. Steenbergen, now 16, has made the leap from the junior level to the senior stage, and set the Dutch national youth record twice in the 200 free in Eindhoven. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Esmee Vermeulen and 18-year-old Robin Neumann have each hit FINA “A” cuts individually in huge breakout seasons.
Combining the times from all four in the 200 free final in Eindhoven gives a composite relay time of 7:49.70, which would have been six tenths out of the bronze medal at last summer’s World Championships:
| Dutch Composite 4×200 free relay | |
| Femke Heemskerk | 1:55.85 |
| Robin Neumann | 1:57.85 |
| Marrit Steenbergen | 1:57.87 |
| Esmee Vermeulen | 1:57.93 |
| 7:49.70 | |
Keep in mind that Heemskerk has actually been a full second faster than that (with her swim from the 2015 edition of the Eindhoven Swim Cup) and you’ve got a 4×200 free relay that could challenge for medals just the same as the nation’s already-potent 4×100 free relay.
The gold medals in both of those events already have heavy favorites (the Australians in the 4×100 and the Americans in the 4×200), and China has been showing major improvement in the 4×200, but don’t sleep on a Dutch roster that is young and rapidly improving.
All the FINA “A” cuts from night 3’s finals in Eindhoven:
- Women’s 200 IM: Evelyn Verraszto, Hungary – 2:13.32
- Men’s 100 fly: Joeri Verlinden, the Netherlands – 51.79
- Men’s 1500 free: Poul Zellmann, Germany – 15:11.80
- Women’s 200 free: Femke Heemskerk, the Netherlands – 1:55.85
- Women’s 200 free: Robin Neumann, the Netherlands – 1:57.85
- Women’s 200 free: Marrit Steenbergen, the Netherlands – 1:57.87
- Women’s 200 free: Esmee Vermeulen, the Netherlands – 1:57.93
- Men’s 100 free: Sebastiaan Verschuren, the Netherlands – 48.73
Sharon van Rouwendaal is also a medel contenter for the 400m, which can be put on the relay.
Franziska Hentke, who swam a dramatic 200 fly PB at the age of 27 last year is almost as natural as Michelle Smith breaking dramatic PBs at the same age in 1996.
Yeah, or as natural as the progression of Larkin, Horton, McEvoy, Chalmers, Seebohm, Atherton …
Its funny to hear that from you, considering the recent doping case of Kylie Palmer and the sudden improvements of australian swimming overall. Of all western countries australia is probably the most suspicious, especially considering the history of your new head coach. Your luck is that countries like China or Russia are even more suspicious, so no one focuses on your country.
Haha. I hit a nerve, eh?
I see that you have been very aggressive with your “questioning” fast times by swimmers from other countries (eg. Japanese WR holder, etc) except for German swimmers and it is incredibly strange that you have been overlooking one stark abnormality in Hentke. I didn’t mention the whole of German swimmers. Just one name. Hentke. Hentke who is at the age of 27 yo registered a giant PB.
it goes to show who you don’t have any intellectual honesty when saying that Hentke’s progression is the same as the progressions of Larkin, Horton, McEvoy, Chalmers, Seebohm, Atherton.
By the way, why stopping with Atherton when you can continue with Magnussen, Coutts, Barratt, Fraser-Holmes, Jones,… Read more »
No you didnt hit a nerve, your comment was just extremely insulting and aggressive, like basically everything you write here…
Australia was the last western country to have a doping case in swimming and then you go on and accuse other nations of doping? That sounds to me as if you are extremely confused …
I dont need to say much about the rest, but when exactly was the last “opportunity” to question Hentke? She didnt show anything special in the last couple of months. Is she suspicious to me? Yes, like all other world class swimmers, it has absolutely nothing to do with nationality.
I never said that Hentkes progression was/is normal (prove me wrong if you dont… Read more »
Some good results from a german perspective in mens 50/100 free (Wierling), mens 1500 free (Zellmann), mens 400 IM (Heidtmann), womens 100 fly (Mrozinski) and womens 200 IM (Wolters) so far. Mensing and Feldwehr on the other hand have been pretty disappointing.
I hope that …
Wierling can swim sub 22.20 and sub 48.8 at the german championships
Zellman can swim sub 15:00 at the german championships
Heidtmann can swim sub 4:12 at the german championships
Mrozinski can swim sub 2:09 (200 fly) at the german championships
Wolters can swim 2:12 low at the german championships
He was clearly only ranking the teams not mentioning medal threats. Can’t you see he put Netherlands themselves there?
Still funny.
France to get into women 4×200 final ahead of Britain and Japan?
I am rolling on the floor laughing.
I know that Bobo is very proud of his Frenchness, but this. I can’t even.
France has problems with their 3rd and 4th swimmer, but i think that Balmy and Bonnet are faster than all japanese women and maybe even faster than all british women, maybe except for Carlin. France will have a good chance to reach the final, if they find 2 other girls who can swim 1:58 flat.
ThomasLurzFan,
FYI, 4×200 relay is not won by two swimmers, the outcome is the result of added times of FOUR swimmers.
In Kazan, Bonnet and Balmy were also faster than all Japanese women, and yet they still lost to Japan by MORE than one seconds!
Not to mention, I am betting that Rikako Ikkee will be faster this year.
And didn’t you understand what I have written in response to Luigi:
In Kazan, France LOST to GBR by MORE than FIVE seconds.
I will give you some time to understand that sentence.
Do you really think that France’s third swimmer will turn into Camille Muffat?
By the way, if you are still confused, Bobo decreed… Read more »
You are clearly a very frustrated person, at this rate nobody at Swimswam will talk to you anymore very soon!
First of all, why are you assuming that GB and Japan will be as fast as last year? Is there a guarantee for that? NO, so please calm down and don’t act as if you know everything better.
I said that France can beat GB and Japan IF they find 2 other girls who can swim 1:58 low with a flat start. Maybe its not very realistic, but if you would’ve taken your time to understand my comment, you probably would’ve been able to figure that out. Normally i would now offer to you that we discuss about… Read more »
It’s ok. In the meantime, I still have you to talk with on this site.
I’m glad that you are revising what you actually meant in your original sentences.
It’s so much better now.
If you don’t know what I am talking about, consider this:
In Kazan, France couldn’t even get within one second behind Japan, could not even get within FIVE seconds behind GBR.
And you can’t see how funny he is?
Netherlands is a huge medal contender in the women’s 4X100 free relay but not a contender in the 4X200 free relay in my opinion.
USA, China, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Italy and France.
France medal contenders in women 4×200 free?
You are funny, Bobo.
Where did he say that? Those 8 teams will reach the final in his opinion. I agree about the first 7, but i think that GB, Russia and Japan could upset France for the last spot in the final. In my opinion China, USA and Australia are almost safe to win the medals.
You are almost as funny as Bobo.
Why would GBR and Japan upset France when both of them already beat France in Kazan 4×200 prelims and final?
I meant that they could upset Bobo’s prediction, so to say “France in Bobo’s prediction”. You aren’t very funny, but extremely arrogant, please learn to behave yourself.
I’m glad you changed what you meant in your sentence.
and Thank you. Your opinion of me means so much to me.
Not a chance France even medals in the 800 free relay . Sorry , too optimistic .
I think the top 8 teams will go sub 7:50 in Rio.