Record Watch: 10 records on high alert at the European Championships and the swimmers going after them

The European Championships kick off from the pool on Monday, and by the time things wrap up the following Sunday, the record books will likely look quite a bit different. Here are 10 of the more notable records (meet records, European records, and of course World Records) that look to be in some level of danger heading into next weeks battle in Berlin.

Note: this list is far from exhaustive. Feel free to chime in your own thoughts in the comments section about more records on the chopping block at 2014 Euros.

Event: Women’s 50 fly
Contender(s): Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Record: World record, 24.43 – Sarah Sjostrom Sweden 2014

Quick Take: Let’s get the obvious one out of the way first, shall we? Sjostrom smashed this record in July at Swedish Nationals. Lowering it will be a tall order, but Sjostrom’s red-hot right now

Event: Men’s 200 breast
Contender(s): Ross Murdoch, Great Britain, Marco Koch, Germany
Record: World record, 2:07.01 – Akihiro Yamaguchi, Japan 2013
Quick Take:
This race could be a barn-burner. Murdoch has been three tenths off the record, after his teammate Michael Jamieson (absent from Berlin) was the early world leader. Koch could make this a battle for the win with a gold medal coming with a special bonus world record

Event: Women’s 200 back
Contender(s): Daria Ustinova, Russia
Record: Meet record, 2:06.62 – Krisztina Egerszegi, Hungary 1991
Quick Take:
This one’s a bit of a stretch, but merit’s mention for its longevity. Hungary’s Egerszegi set this record all the way back in 1991, and at 23 years old, it’s the oldest European Championships record on the books. Ustinova is still about a second and a half away based on her season-best, but Ustinova’s youth means a big drop isn’t out of the question.

Event: Women’s 200 breast
Contender(s): Rikke Moller Pedersen, Denmark
Record: World record, 2:19.11 – Rikke Moller Pedersen Denmark 2013
Quick Take:
Another current world record-holder looking to lower her own mark. Pedersen is the only one of big women’s breaststroke trio swimming at Euros, with Ruta Meilutyte gone and Yuliya Efimova suspended. Pederson has been within a half second of her own world record this year, and it seems a pretty good bet she’ll be gunning for a 2:18 in Berlin.

Event: Women’s 50 free
Contender(s): Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Record: World record, 23.73 – Britta Steffen, Germany 2009
Quick Take:
Another of the tough, super-suited records could go down this week, as Sjostrom is on the hunt for more world marks. She’s been within .25 of the world record here, and though it would take a big swim, there would be something poetic about Sjostrom breaking Steffen’s world record in Steffen’s home country of Germany

Event: Men’s 200 free
Contender(s): Yannick Agnel, France
Record: Meet record, 1:44.89 – Pieter van den Hoogenband, Netherlands 2002
Quick Take:
Another oldie but goodie. The oldest European Champs record on the books could be under assault this week from French sensation Yannick Agnel, fresh off a training stint in the U.S. alongside Michael Phelps.

Event: Men’s 50 breast
Contender(s): Adam Peaty, Great Britain
Record: World record, 26.67 – Cameron van der Burgh, South Africa 2009
Quick Take:
Peaty had an outstanding Commonwealth Games, nearly beating out Van der Burgh and taking his world record along with him. It’s hard to predict what Peaty will be like on a double taper, but if he can hold his speed, he’s got the meet record (27.18) in hand, and only need a tenth to break the world mark while van der Burgh watches his country at Pan Pacs from home.

Event: Women’s 100 fly
Contender(s): Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Record: World record, 55.98 – Dana Vollmer, USA 2012
Quick Take:
Sjostrom again. The Swede is a half-second off of Vollmer’s record, and now holding the title as fastest female butterflyer ever (in terms of sheer speed), Sjostrom could definitely take down this mark. Meet record (57.20) looks clearly beatable, and her own European record is just a tenth off the world mark.

Event: Men’s 1500 free
Contender(s): Gregorio Paltrinieri, Italy
Record: European record, 14:43.21 – Yury Prilukov, Russia, 2008
Quick Take:
Paltrinieri was just about a second off this record at Italian Nationals in April. He already holds the meet record at 14:48.92, and should look to extend his name further into the record books in the mile from Berlin.

Event: Women’s 100 free
Contender(s): Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden
Record: World record, 52.07 – Britta Steffen, Germany 2009
Quick Take:
Who else to end this list off but Sjostrom again? This is her longest shot, and there’s an outside chance the record gets lowered even further by Cate Campbell at Pan Pacs. Still, Sjostrom looks to be in great shape for the meet record of 53.30, as she’s been as fast as 52.70 this year. Some momentum from big butterfly swims could propel her closer to this world record as well.

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Zanna
9 years ago

Jamieson had a baby? Thought that was Adam Brown.

Ronald Ferreira
9 years ago

Seems like pie in the sky. Maybe a few European records will be broken but hardly any world records. The European championships is a 3rd level compitition after the Olympics and the World Championships. Some of the winners in the European Championships would not even be finalists at the Olympics.

thomaslurzfan
Reply to  Ronald Ferreira
9 years ago

I cant decide if your embarrassing or just funny, but i think ill go for funny (at least i hope that you werent serious).

SwimFanFinland
Reply to  Ronald Ferreira
9 years ago

I think it’s great we don’t have Olympics or World Championships every year.

It adds importance to regional meets while doing the same for World Championships. It also enables other interesting rivalries to develop at the regional meets, PanPacs, European Championships, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games etc., which is good for swimming.

And it’s also great if it’s true that not every winner would make it to the respective Olympic final, because it shows swimming is well covered geographically.

thomaslurzfan
Reply to  SwimFanFinland
9 years ago

Athlete and World Ranking (from FINAs website):

Women:

50 free: Halsall 1, Sjöström 2, Kromowidjojo 6 (wont start)
100 free: Sjöström 2, Heemskerk 4, Coleman 8
200 free: Sjöström 1, Pellegrini 4, SMOC 5
400 free: Belmonte 2, Carlin 4, Pellegrini 5
800 free: Carlin 2, Belmonte 6, Ponsele 10
100 back: Nielsen 2, Davies 4, Hosszu 6
200 back: Ustinova 2, Simmonds 8, Mensing 10
100 breast: Meilutyte 1 (wont start), Pedersen 3, Taylor 4
200 breast: Pedersen 1, Vall 9, Taylor 12
100 fly: Sjöström 1, Ottesen 2, Dekker 4
200 fly: Belmonte 2, Ignacio 3, Hosszu 8
200 IM: SMOC 1, Heemskerk 4, Willmot 8
… Read more »

thomaslurzfan
Reply to  thomaslurzfan
9 years ago

What i forgot to mention:

SMOC = Siobhan Marie O’Connor
CWH = Chris Walker-Hebborn

aswimfan
Reply to  thomaslurzfan
9 years ago

SMOC will not start.
Jamieson also will not start. He chose to stay at home with his new-born baby.
Miley also will not start. She chose to bypass Berlin (this shows the Commonwealth Games are more important to some Commonwealth countries).

I agree that this the “off year” is good because this is where the development occurs (Missy Franklin in 2010 Pan Pacs, Le Clos in 2010 Commonwealth), and it makes very interesting to compare times. Based on the previous years however, more Pan Pacs times at the top were faster than at the Euros.

9 years ago

Ruta is competing in the 50 breaststroke in Berlin

9 years ago

Another decade?I disagree…
After watching Cate coming home in relay, i think she has 51 high in her core.Maybe she will never do, but i think she has what is necessary to do it.I think she has 25.0/26.9 calling to come out of her.It is THERE.

About Cielo WR:
I think there is lot of youngsters in a level we never saw before.I dont know who, but any of these well know names can change the game out of nowhere. McEvoy is always improving, even if a bit slower than before, he still coming strong.Guys like Dressel,Ribeiro,Santana,Chambers,Sedov and others can change the game within 2-5 years.

aswimfan
Reply to  DDias
9 years ago

Honestly, those are all my hopes as well.
And I do agree with you about Cate having 25.0 – 26.9 (or 25.0 – 27.0 would be sufficient already). I was just trying to present another real possibility.

Cate came home in 27.47 in the Glasgow relay, so that’s still a half second slower what she needs to aim if she wants to break Steffen’s-hydrofoiled WR.
First 50 is never a problem for Cate who has by far the fastest easy speed of any female sprinter. It is the last 10 metres which has proven to be her achilles. Even her sister Bronte is now faster on the second 50, splitting 27.18 in the 100 free final, while Cate… Read more »

aswimfan
9 years ago

It could be the case that Cate Campbell (or Sjoestrom in this matter) will get awfully close to the Steffen’s WR, but the WR will eventually still stand for another decade. This scenario may also apply to James Magnussen with his 47.10 to Cielo’s WR.

I remember that both men and women 100 free WR were thought as among the hardest to break, and just behind the w200fly, m200frre and w200IM WRs. Athough I am truly hoping all of those shiny suit WRs will be broken sooner rather than later.
The long overdue one is the m400free. Sun Yang has not done the best he can in my opinion. And Thorpe’s textile WR is continuing as the longest standing… Read more »

MarkB
Reply to  aswimfan
9 years ago

The Women’s 200 Fly is a stronger record than either of the 100 Frees. 2:01 for a woman!!

aswimfan
Reply to  MarkB
9 years ago

That’s exactly what I was saying.

Philip Johnson
Reply to  aswimfan
9 years ago

I still have faith Magnussen will break that WR. It would be such a shame to get so close and never reach that level again. The great ones always seem to perform. Thorpe’s 3:40 barrier breaking swim wasn’t a fluke, but he had actually swam on that level several times. Magnussen just needs that champion mindset to get there again.

Luigi
Reply to  Philip Johnson
9 years ago

I seem to remember that when Thorpe set his legendary record, he coasted a little bit on the last 50. I read somewhere that he regretted it, as he could have been under 3.40!

aswimfan
Reply to  Luigi
9 years ago

He did glide in the last two meters:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_FwRjBC8Io

Also, current Ledecky could have taught Thorpe on how to do great turn.

Lennart van Haaften
Reply to  Luigi
9 years ago

Yes, he wrote that in his autobio. He said he held back to save himself for Pan Pacs. Such a shame, especially in hindsight. If he really held back he could still have held the WR today. A lesson for all swimmers out there: when you are in the best shape of your life, don’t hold back and break those records. Ledecky is doing well in that regard.

aswimfan
Reply to  Philip Johnson
9 years ago

And yes, Thorpe did 3:40s several times, BUT.. he should have been able to take the mark down to 3:38.

Emily
9 years ago

Where is Ruta Meilutyte? I was looking forward to the best 3 breastrokes in europe smashing it out.

Admin
Reply to  Emily
9 years ago

Emily – Ruta chose the Youth Olympics instead. This will be her only chance at that event, so she wanted to take advantage of it.

Giorgio Battistello
Reply to  Braden Keith
9 years ago

Meilutyte back to BLN2014 for the 50’s

Giorgio Battistello
Reply to  Giorgio Battistello
9 years ago

Meilutyte back to BLN2014 for the 50’s

John
9 years ago

W 200 BA 23 years old, not 13!

Boknows34
Reply to  John
9 years ago

Egerszegi celebrates her 40th birthday on Saturday.

boknows34
9 years ago

Michael Jamieson won’t be competing in Berlin.
Adam Peaty should also have a good crack at the meet record of 59.20 for the 100m breast.
Fran Halsall deserves a mention for the 50m free, having posted the fastest time in the world this year at the CWG in Glasgow.
SM O’Connor and Katinka Hosszu should both smash Hosszu’s meet record of 2.10.09 in the 200 IM. Belmonte will also be a threat.

About Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson

Jared Anderson swam for nearly twenty years. Then, Jared Anderson stopped swimming and started writing about swimming. He's not sick of swimming yet. Swimming might be sick of him, though. Jared was a YMCA and high school swimmer in northern Minnesota, and spent his college years swimming breaststroke and occasionally pretending …

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