2023 EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- December 5-10, 2023
- Otopeni Olympic Swimming Complex, Bucharest, Romania
- Short Course Meters (25 meters)
- Prelims 2:30am (ET), Finals 11am (ET)
- Entries Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Live Results (Microplus Timing)
- Eurovision Sport Livestream
- Day 1 Prelims Recap | Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap | Day 2 Finals Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Recap | Day 3 Finals Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Recap | Day 4 Finals Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Recap | Day 5 Finals Recap
Here we are: the final day of the 2023 European Short Course Swimming Championships. Tonight’s final will be as action packed as any other night of the meet, however, this morning’s session will be very short, featuring only 3 events. The entire session is scheduled to last about 35 minutes, so if you’re following along as it goes, this will be a very quick one.
DAY 6 EVENT SCHEDULE
- Men’s 400 individual medley – prelims
- Women’s 400 freestyle – prelims
- Mixed 4×50 medley relay – prelims
There are only 7 total heats this morning, so it will move fast. The men’s 400 IM has Italian Alberto Razzetti coming in as the top seed, entering with a seed of 4:00.45. He’s the top seed by a comfortable margin, entering over 5 seconds ahead of #2 seed Richard Nagy from Slovakia.
The women’s 400 free is lead by Italian distance star Simona Quadarella on the entry lists. Quadarella comes in with a time of 4:00.12, leading Czech Republic’s Barbora Seemanova by just 0.03 seconds.
MEN’S 400 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – HEATS
- World Record: Daiya Seto (Japan) – 3:54.81 (2019)
- European Record: Ilya Borodin (Russia) – 3:56.47 (2021)
- SC Euros Record: Laszlo Cseh (Hungary) – 3:57.27 (2009)
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Thomas Jansen (Netherlands) – 4:08.21
- Duncan Scott (Great Britain) – 4:08.32
- Apostolos Papastamos (Greece) – 4:08.41
- Alberto Razzetti (Italy) – 4:08.70
- Richard Nagy (Slovakia) – 4:08.90
- Balazs Hollo (Hungary) – 4:08.96
- Robert Badea (Romania) – 4:11.38
- Emillien Mattenet (France) – 4:12.45
Prelims of the men’s 400 IM was shockingly tight this morning, seeing the top 6 swimmers all go 4:08. It was Netherlands’ Thomas Jansen who posted the top time of the morning, swimming a 4:08.21. He was out in 56.98 on fly, then went 1:02.04 on back, 1:11.07 on breast, and 58.12 on free.
Great Britain’s Duncan Scott went a 4:08.32 for 2nd. He got out to a fast start, splitting 54.20 on the the fly leg. A 1:03.42 back split put him into the 200m turn at 1:57.62, which was the fastest opening 200m split as well.
Apostolos Papastamos (Greece) rounded out the top 3 with a 4:08.41 this morning. He was helped by a 1:10.28 breast split.
WOMEN’S 400 FREESTYLE – HEATS
- World Record: Li Bingjie (China) – 3:51.30 (2022)
- European Record: Mireia Belmonte (Spain) – 3:54.52 (2013)
- SC Euros Record: Camile Muffat (France) – 3:54.85 (2012)
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- Anastasiia Kirpichnikova (France) – 4:02.77
- Simona Quadarella (Italy) – 4:02.82
- Valentine Dumont (Belgium) – 4:02.87
- Helena Bach (Denmark) – 4:04.34
- Ajna Kesely (Hungary) – 4:04.44
- Katja Fain (Slovenia) – 4:05.68
- Maya Werner (Germany) – 4:07.25
- Francisca Martins (Portugal) – 4:07.36
France’s Anastasiia Kirpichinkova led prelims of the women’s 400 free with a 4:02.77 this morning, leading a tight pack at the top of the field. She was out in 2:00.37 at the 200m turn. Kirpichnikova then managed a 1:01.50 on the 3rd 100, before coming home in 1:00.90 on the final 100.
Finishing just off Kirpichnikova’s time was Italian Simona Quadarella, who swam a 4:02.82 for 2nd. Quadarella was out a little slower than Kirpichnikova, swimming a 2:01.19 on the opening 200m. She then was faster coming home, splitting 1:01.21 on the 3rd 100 and 1:00.42 on the final 100, for a 2:01.63 on the 2nd 200.
Belgium’s Valentine Dumont was also a 4:02 this morning, taking 3rd overall with a 4:02.87.
Denmark’s Helena Bach was out the fastest of anyone, splitting 1:59.79 on the first 200m of the race, She ended up in 4th overall, swimming a 4:04.34.
MIXED 4×50 MEDLEY RELAY – HEATS
- World Record: United States – 1:35.15 (2022)
- European Record: Italy – 1:36.01 (2022)
- SC Euros Record: Netherlands – 1:36.18 (2021)
Top 8 Qualifiers:
- France – 1:39.04
- Netherlands – 1:39.18
- Germany – 1:39.22
- Czechia – 1:39.92
- Estonia – 1:40.19
- Great Britain – 1:40.20
- Greece – 1:40.48
- Italy – 1:40.61
In the mixed 4×50 medley relay, France clocked a 1:39.04 to lead prelims. Stanislas Huille (23.74), Florent Manaudou (26.04), Mary-Ambre Moluh (25.55), and Analia Pigree (23.71) combined to make it happen, earning the top seed for finals tonight.
The Dutch team of Kira Toussaint (26.99), Arno Kamminga (25.84), Sean Niewold (22.68), and Valerie Van Roon (23.67) teamed up for a 1:39.18, which was good for 2nd overall.
Germany was 3rd in 1:39.22, helped in large part by Ole Braunschweig’s 23.37 on the lead-off leg.
Italy narrowly made it through to the final, coming in 8th with a 1:40.61.
Brings a smile & tear seeing Muffat’s name on the records list. What a year she had in 2011/2012! Some of her 400s were incredible – not just in times but how she split them.
I feel the same way, every time I see her name.
I remember she experimented with her 400 LCM splits throughout early 2012 in the lead up to London.
Some swims she went crazy hard from the starts, some others she crazy negative split, but all ended up with similar results: low 4:0x
Her stroke was exquisite, the finest the technical brilliance of Fabrice Pellerin ever developed in my view.
First thing I noticed as well.
Surely GB will swim Dawson, Clark, Peters, and Proud in the final?
Surprised to see Manadou do breaststroke!
Flo’s still (weirdly enough) France’s best 50 SCM breastroker lol
Actually the French team did not have any male starter at either 50/100/200 breast at this ECH…
Only 0.2 slower than Kamminga!
He’s the French record holder so it makes a lot of sense. His combined 200IM in SCM in 2014 was absolutely filthy and unmatched, even by peak Vlad or Caeleb.
That 22.22 former WR in the 50 Back from Doha 2014 is my favorite swim ever to this day. It came straight out of left field, he smashed the WR, and his post-race interview was essentially: “Oh yeah, I was a backstroker as an age grouper. Surprise.”
Yes, I hadn’t realised that.
Florent Manadou with a 26.04 on breastroke?!?!?!??!