2014 European Championships – Day 7 Finals Live Recap

2014 LEN EUROPEAN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, August 13-Sunday, August 24, 2014 (pool swimming Monday, 8/18-Sunday 8/24)
• The Velodrom, Berlin, Germany
• Local time: Prelims 9:30am, Finals 6pm (Monday-Thursday), 4pm (Friday-Sunday)
• Meet website
• Event schedule
• Live stream
• Live results

Women’s 50 freestyle – final

• 2012 European Champ: Britta Steffen, Germany, 24.37
• 2010 European Champ: Therese Alshammer, Sweden, 24.45
• Meet Record: Marleen Veldhuis, Netherlands, 24.09 – 2008
• World Record: Britta Steffen, Germany, 23.73 – 2009
• European Record: Britta Steffen, Germany, 23.73 – 2009

Britain’s Fran Halsall is having a wonderful summer. First coming away from Glasgow with gold in both the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly, she has followed that up by winning gold in the 50 backstroke and 50 freestyle in Berlin. The race was not as fast many would of have thought or were hoping, since both Halsall and Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden had been under the 24 second barrier, but nonetheless it was an exciting battle for gold.

Halsall took the event in a time of 24.32 out touching Sjostrom by five one-hundredths of a second as the Swede hit the wall in a time of 24.37.

Danish Jeanette Ottesen star who upset Sjostrom in the women’s 100 butterfly earlier in the meet took the bronze in a time of 24.53, 13 one-hundredths of a second away from best and Danish national record.

Men’s 50 freestyle – final

• 2012 European Champ: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.80
• 2010 European Champ: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.49
• Meet Record: Frederick Bousquet, France, 21.36 – 2010
• World Record: Cesar Cielo, Brazil, 20.91 – 2009
• European Record: Frederick Bousquet, France, 20.94 – 2009

French star Florent Manaudou took his third individual gold of the championships, winning the 50 freestyle in a time of 21.32. Manaudou, who won both the 100 freestyle and 50 butterfly earlier in the competition, broke the championship record of 21.36 set which was by fellow countryman Frederick Bousquet in 2010. His time is also a lifetime best, beating his Olympic time of 21.34.

He also takes over the top spot in the world rankings, beating the time of 21.39 posted by Cesar Cielo of Brazil.

Konrad Czerniak finished second in a time of 21.88 beating his previous season and textile best of 21.94.

Ari-Pekka Liukkonen and Commonwealth champion Ben Proud had an intense fight for the bronze. Liukkonen took the medal in a time of 21.93 one one-hundredth of a second ahead of Proud who finished in a time of 21.94. Liukkonen broke his own Finnish national record of 22.10, which he set in yesterday’s semi-final.

Women’s 50 breaststroke – final

• 2012 European Champ: Petra Chocova, Czech Republic, 31.25
• 2010 European Champ: Yuliya Efimova, Russia, 30.29
• Meet Record: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 29.88 – 2014
• World Record: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 29.48 – 2013
• European Record: Ruta Meilutyte, Lithuania, 29.48 – 2013

Lithuanian Ruta Meilutyte dominated the competition in the women’s 50 breaststroke taking the event in a time of 29.89. Meilutyte just missed her season’s best of 29.88, which she posted in the semi-final.

Last year Meilutyte had an incredible summer where she set the world record in both the 50 and 100 breaststroke along with collecting world championship gold in both events. She did not swim as fast this summer, but herself a difficult challenge to contend with swimming the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing along with the European Championships back to back.

Jennie Johansson took the silver in a time of 30.52 just over her season’s best of 30.39. Moniek Nijhuis won the bronze finishing in a time of 30.64.

Women’s 200 butterfly – final

• 2012 European Champ: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:07.28
• 2010 European Champ: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:06.71
• Meet Record: Otylia Jedrzejczak, Poland, 2:05.78 – 2002
• World Record: Liu Zige, China, 2:01.81 – 2009
• European Record: Katinka Hosszu, Hungary, 2:04.27 – 2009

Spaniard Mireia Belmonte Garcia continued to collect hardware in Berlin, this time in the women’s 200 butterfly. Belmonte, who took home the silver in Barcelona last summer, put the top ranked time in the world finishing in a time of 2:04.79. She just missed her own Spanish record of 2:04.78.

• Record splits: 28.29/1:00.63 (32.34)/1:32.49 (31.86)/2:04.78 (32.29)
• Berlin splits: 28.76/1:00.63 (31.87)/1:32.61 (31.98)/2:04.79 (32.18)

Hungarian Katinka Hosszu pushed Belmonte in the first 100 meters, but it was at that point that Belmonte separated herself from her competition. Judit Ignacio Sorribes passed Hosszu in third 50 eventually finishing second in a time of 2:06.66. Hosszu took the bronze in a time of 2:07.28.

Men’s 400 IM – final

• 2012 European Champ: Laszlo Cseh (HUN) – 4:12.17
• 2010 European Champ: Laszlo Cseh (HUN) – 4:10.95
• Meet Record: Laszlo Cseh (HUN) – 4:09.59 (2008)
• World Record: Michael Phelps (USA) – 4:03.84 (2008)
• European Record: Laszlo Cseh (HUN) – 4:06.16 (2008)

Hungarian David Verraszto took the men’s 400 IM in a time of 4:11.89. Verraszto just missed his 2011 lifetime best of 4:11.71. Roberto Pavoni of Great Britain led the race for the first 150 meters, but Verraszto took the reigns from there. Pavoni, who finished just outside the medals in this event at the Commonwealth Games, finished second in a time of 4:13.75.

Federico Turrini collected the bronze in a time of 4:14.15.

Women’s 400 freestyle – final

• 2012 European Champ: Coralie Balmy (FRA) – 4:05.31
• 2010 European Champ: Rebecca Adlington (GBR) – 4:04.55
• Meet Record: Federica Pelligrini (ITA) – 4:01.53 (2008)
• World Record: Katie Ledecky (USA) – 3:58.37 (2014)
• European Record: Federica Pelligrini (ITA) – 3:59.15 (2009)

The final individual event of the competition was an exciting one as Jazz Carlin, Mireia Belmonte and Federica Pelligrini duked it out for much of the race. At the 200 meter mark world championship medalist Melanie Costa Schmid of Spain had the led turning in a time of 2:01.51, followed by Carlin (2:01.63), Belmonte (2:01.83) and Pelligrini (2:01.84).

Heading into the final 100 meters Belmonte took over the lead followed by Carlin and Pelligrini. Carlin ultimately took the event in a time of 4:03.24.

In the final 100 meters Sharon Rouwendaal of the Netherlands overtook both Belmonte and Pelligrini taking the silver in a time of 4:03.76 followed by Belmonte who touched in a time of 4:04.76.

This was an incredible race for Rouwendaal who came into the competition with a lifetime best of 4:09.18.

Women’s 4 x 100 medley relay – final

• 2012 European Champ: Germany – 3:58.43 (Mensing/Powewe/Wenk/Steffen)
• 2010 European Champ: Great Britain – 3:59.72 (Spofforth/Haywood/Halsall/Smith) 
• Meet Record: Germany – 3:58.43 (Mensing/Powewe/Wenk/Steffen) (2012)
• World Record: USA – 3:52.05 (Franklin/Soni/Vollmer/Schmitt) (2012)
• European Record: Germany – 3:55.79 (Samulski/Poewe/Mehlhorn/Steffen) (2009)

The Danish team consisting of Mie Nielsen, Rikke Moller Pedersen, Jeanette Ottesen and Pernille Blume took the women’s 4 x 100 medley in a time of 3:55.62. Their time set a new European record, beating Germany’s 3:55.79 from 2009 and championship record, erasing Germany’s 3:58.42 set in 2012.

Record splits

• Nielsen – 1:00.37
• Pedersen – 1:06.07
• Jeanette Ottesen – 56.15
• Blume – 53.03

The Swedes picked up the silver in a time of 3:56.04. The most impressive part of their race was the split put up by Sarah Sjostrom who posted a 55.47 for the butterfly portion of race.

Great Britain finished third in a time of 3:57.97.

Men’s 4 x 100 medley relay – final

• 2012 European Champ: Italy – 3:32.80 (Di Tora/Scozzoli/Rivolta/Magnini)
• 2010 European Champ: France – 3:31.32 (Lacourt/Duboscq/Bousquet/Gilot)
• Meet Record: France – 3:31.32 (Lacourt/Duboscq/Bousquet/Gilot) (2010)
• World Record: USA – 3:27.28 (Peirsol/Shanteau/Phelps/Walters) (2009)
• European Record: Germany – 3:28.58 (Meeuw/Feldwehr/Starke/Biedermann) (2009)

The British had a great race, just missing the competition record time, winning the final gold in Berlin. The team made up of Christopher Walker-Hebborn, Adam Peaty, Adam Barrett and Ben Proud just missed the championship record of 3:31.32, taking the event in a time of 3:31.73.

Winning splits:

• Walker-Hebborn – 54.04
• Peaty – 58.55
• Barrett – 50.69
• Proud – 48.45

France, who was missing Florent Manaudou, finished second in a time of 3:32.47 followed by the Hungarians who took the bronze in a time of 3:33.11.