2018 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 3-9, 2018 (swimming portion)
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Tollcross International Swimming Centre
- Meet Central
- Program
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream
- Live Stream (Europe w/ English commentary)
- Full Results
In the 2nd semi-final of the 100m free race at the 2018 European Championships here in Glasgow, top-seeded Pernille Blume of Denmark, who earned a wicked-fast 52.97 in the morning heats, seemed to swim a two-part race en route to falling out of the top 8, failing to advance to the final.
In a somewhat bizarre twist of events in the women’s 100m freestyle, Danish national record holder Blume looked like she was gunning for a 50m freestyle split, followed by an open turn into a much slower back half. She opened with a blistering 23.98, just .23 off of her own 50m national record, only to close in 30.73 for a final time of 54.71. That wound up placing the Dane in 10th place overall and out of the final.
Post-race, Blume said that she wanted to beat Sjostrom’s winning 50m freestyle time of 23.74 from the individual event here, while still making the 100m free final. In that 50m free individual race, Blume took silver behind the Swede in 23.75, just .01 behind.
Blume holds a personal best of 52.69 in the event clocked last year in Budapest at the World Championships, but has already been as fast as 52.72 this year, which ranks Blume as the 4th fastest swimmer in the world.
Of note, Dutch multiple Olympian Ranomi Kromowidjojo had dropped out of the 100m free race to focus on the 50m fly, indicating she believed she had a better chance in that race. However, with Blume now out of the race, Kromowidjojo’s historic times in this event falling in the 53-mid’s and high’s would situate her in a possible position for a minor medal had she swum.
I think it was badass, gotta take risks and have some fun. Makes me a pernille Blume fan
A bit off topic, but in the article pic Blume looks like Rebecca Romijn’s doppelganger (at least in that photo).
I think she forgot that she already swam the 50m and only realized that this is a 100m long race immediately before the wall. Maybe this is the best possible explanation for her.
Two words: time trial
Popov did it. But I believe FINA no longer recognizes records done in time trials.
I fully understand Pernille decision. She just want to prove that she can do better on 50 (still believe she can! ). Its her decision I think you need to be very brave to do that. It was her race and we shouldn’t make any judge on her. Xoxo
She thought she could make the final on looks alone
Well, if that were the case, she would be seeded first, but not how the world works.
What on earth was that??? And why? Her explanation makes zero sense. I doubt this was something she talked about with her coach… any sensible coach would have told her to swim a proper 100m race, not some nonsense race against no one. Hoenstly, what a waste of resources and money and support! This makes me so mad! If I was the Danish national coach, I’d send her home! You don’t take swimming for your country seriously, you can go swim in your backyard kiddie pool!
She said in post race interview that she had decided to do it without her coaches support (No mention of whether it had been discussed or not).
Even as a Dane, I agree. Very unsportsmanlike and itshould have repercussions from the Danish national team
Can’t believe whatI just saw 🤔
1. In a post race interview (in danish) she said she decided to do it on her own with no endorsement from staff l.
2. She has also seemed extremely frustrated after her 50 final and seems to believe she has the form right now for a wr in the 50 fr, and seemed to believe it was a ‘now or never” attack on the wr if she were to go for it this year. Not that it would count anyway.
I’m so disappointed. I have such high hopes for the blume-sjostrom duels.
Say she had broken it…it would count as a WR, right?
I dont think it would count, making it even more pointless.
It would indeed have been a WR as long as she would have finished the race without beeing DQ.
I have had swimmers doing like this att local meets. But at this level… hope she gets a suspension from the Danish team
As long as she finished the race, then I believe it would have counted.
It would. Cate Campbell did that in 2015 with the 100 freestyle short course WR. She broke it during a 200 race.
By swimming 50 in 100 race a swimmer has better conditions to perform than during 50 race competition: clear water all the way and no pressure to win the race. As it was correctly noticed here it is nothing else but time trial. That’s what makes recognition of records set under such circumstances controversial.
Whether a wise decision or otherwise, an eventual 50 free record would have counted provided the full event is completed. Remember the great K. Perkins from Australia beating BOTH the 800 and the 1,500 free record in the same race during the worlds in Rome 1994