European Short Course Championships, Day Five Finals: Marrit Steenbergen Just Misses World Record in 200 IM
There are five finals on the schedule for the fifth night of racing at the European Short Course Championships in Lublin, Poland. Dutchwoman Marritt Steenbergen, who earlier in the meet set continental records in the 100-meter individual medley and 200 freestyle, will be back in action for the final of the 200 individual medley. Steenbergen is the fourth seed in the final, with Great Britain’s Freya Colbert and Katie Shanahan occupying the middle lanes.
Coming off a world junior record during the prelims of the 800 freestyle, Germany’s Johannes Liebmann will try to secure the gold medal in the final of the distance event. That task will be a difficult one, however, as Hunagry’s Zalan Sarkany and Ireland’s Daniel Wiffen are in the field. Wiffen is the world-record holder in the 800 freestyle.
Here is an event-by-event recap of the Day Five action:
Women’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinals)
Poland’s Kasia Wasick and Italian Sara Curtis have each contributed impressive 50 freestyle anchor legs during the European Championships, and now they’ll duel in the final of the 50 free. Wasick grabbed the top seed for the final, as her mark of 23.30 was quicker than the 23.49 of Curtis. They were followed in the third position by France’s Beryl Gastaldello, who was timed in 23.67.
Men’s 50 Freestyle (Semifinals)
Frenchman Maxime Grousset established himself as the favorite for the gold medal, albeit slightly, by booking Lane Four for the final of the 50 freestyle. Grousset, who was the bronze medalist in the 50 butterfly earlier in the meet, delivered a time of 20.83 to narrowly edge Italian Leonardo Deplano (20.85) and Croatian Jere Hribar (20.89).
Women’s 200 Individual Medley (Final)
For the third time during the competition, the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen broke a European record, this time in the 200 individual medley. Steenbergen blew away the competition, prevailing with a time of 2:01.83. The effort was not far off Kate Douglass’ world record of 2:01.63 and bettered the European standard, which had stood to Katinka Hosszu at 2:01.86 since 2014.
Steenbergen surged into the lead on the opening butterfly leg and was never challenged, as she backed up previous European records in the 100 IM and 200 freestyle. She was followed for the silver medal by Ireland’s Ellen Walshe (2:04.78) while Israel’s Anastasia Gorbenko took the bronze medal in 2:05.32.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley (Final)
Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez had too much for the opposition as he captured a gold medal in the 200 medley, a title that complemented his victory in the event at the 2020 edition of the long-course European Champs. Gonzalez covered the event in 1:51.39, which was comfortably ahead of the 1:52.05 by Italy’s Alberto Razzetti. The bronze medal went to Turkey’s Berke Saka in 1:52.25.
Men’s 800 Freestyle (Final)
