2024 European Championships: Day 5 Finals Live Recap

2024 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

DAY 5 FINALS HEAT SHEET

Just 3 nights of action remain at the 2024 European Championships with this evening’s events bringing us several big stars’ races.

Hungary’s Kristof Milak is set to duel with top-seeded Krzysztof Chmielewski in the semi-finals of the men’s 200m fly.

Also, Irish ace Danielle Hill will try to follow up her first-ever international medal from last night’s 50m back with a high-caliber performance in the women’s 100m back semi-finals.

Anastasia Gorbenko if Israel will try to keep her IM winning streak alive with tonight’s 200m IM semi-final while the men’s 200m free will carry the likes of David Popovici of Romania and Danas Rapsys of Lithuania.

WOMEN’S 100 BUTTERFLY – FINAL

  • World Record: 55.18 – Gretchen Walsh, USA (2024)
  • European Record: 55.48 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2016)
  • Championship Record: 55.89 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2016)

GOLD – Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL), 57.47
SILVER – Georgia Damasioti (GRE), 57.74
BRONZE – Sara Junevik (SWE), 58.06

The women’s 100m butterfly event brought us our first national record of the evening, as 19-year-old Roos Vanotterdijk produced the fastest time of her career en route to gold.

Vanotterdijk stopped the clock in 57.47 to notch one of two swims under the 58-second barrier. Joining her was runner-up Georgia Damasioti who touched in 57.74 while Sweden’s Sara Junevik rounded out the podium in 58.06.

As for Vanotterdijk, the Belgian opened in 26.89 and closed in 30.58 to overwrite her own previous national mark of 57.82 put up during the 2023 Flemish Championships. That means tonight’s performance hacked .35 to now check in as the 23rd-quickest performer in the world this season.

For her part, Damasioti’s outing also represented a lifetime best and the Greek swimmer’s first-ever foray under the 58-second threshold. Entering this competition, Damasioti’s career-quickest stood at the 58.76 logged at April’s Acropolis Open.

MEN’S 200 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • World Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
  • European Record: 1:42.00 – Paul Biedermann, Germany (2009)
  • Championship Record: 1:42.97 – David Popovici, Romania (2022)

GOLD – David Popovici (ROU), 1:43.13
SILVER – Danas Rapsys (LTU), 1:45.65
BRONZE – Antonio Djakovic (SUI), 1:46.32

It was the David Popovici show once again at these European Championships, with the 19-year-old busting out a powerful performance of 1:43.13 to win this men’s 200m free.

Last night Popovici clocked a semi-final result of 1:46.15 to set the stage but this evening the #3 performer in history dropped nearly 3 seconds to handily defeat a world-class field and grab the gold.

Splits for Popovici included 23.83/26.25 (50.08)/26.71/26.34 to get the job done, handing Danas Rapsys of Lithuania the silver in 1:45.65. Swiss ace Antonio Djakovic held on for bronze in 1:46.32.

With the Olympic Games just a few weeks away, Popovici has just registered the sole sub-1:44 outing of the entire world this season.

Entering these Championships, Germany’s Lukas Maertens was #1 in the world rankings with the 1:44.14 produced at April’s German Championships. Popovici’s previous season-best of 1:44.74 from last month’s Mare Nostrum Tour ranked him 4th but he now rockets up to #1 and is the man to beat in Paris.

2023-2024 LCM Men 200 Free

DavidROU
POPOVICI
06/21
1:43.13
2Lukas
MÄRTENS
GER1:44.1404/27
3Sunwoo
HWANG
KOR1:44.4009/27
4Matthew
RICHARDS
GBR1:44.6904/07
5Duncan
SCOTT
GBR1:44.7504/07
View Top 31»

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record: 2:17.55 – Evgeniia Chikunova, Russia (2023)
  • European Record: 2:19.11 – Rikke Pedersen, Denmark (2013)
  • Championship Record: 2:19.84 – Rikke Pedersen, Denmark (2014)

GOLD – Kristyna Horska (CZE), 2:23.60
SILVER – Clara Rybak-Andersen (DEN), 2:25.20
BRONZE – Lisa Mamie (SUI), 2:26.10

The women’s 200m breast was another national record-breaking affair, with 26-year-old Kristyna Horska clocking a Czech standard of 2:23.60 as she topped the podium.

Although the time wasn’t earth-shattering, it was still the fastest of her career, surpassing the 2:24.28 she put on the books at April’s Eindhoven Qualification Meet.

Horska held off Danish swimmer Clara Rybak-Andersen who settled for silver well over a second back in 2:25.20. Swiss ace Lisa Mamie was tonight’s bronze medalist in 2:26.10.

WOMEN’S 100 BACKSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 57.13 – Regan Smith, USA (2024)
  • European Record: 58.08 – Kathleen Dawson, Great Britain (2021)
  • Championship Record: 58.08 – Kathleen Dawson, Great Britain (2021)

Top 8:

  1. Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL) – 1:00.42
  2. Danielle Hill (IRL) – 1:00.52
  3. Adela Piskorska (POL) – 1:00.71
  4. Lottie Cullen (IRL) – 1:01.19
  5. Nika Sharafutdinova (UKR) – 1:01.20
  6. Hanna Rosvall (SWE) – 1:01.22
  7. Dora Molnar (HUN) – 1:01.39
  8. Lora Komoroczy (HUN) – 1:01.51

Just a handful of races after her 100m butterfly national record-breaking victory, teenager Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium was back in the pool to race in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m back.

Vanotterdijk secured the top spot, landing lane 4 in an outing of 1:00.42. That checks in as the 5th-quickest outing of her career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 59.62 from April of last year.

Vanotterdijk owns a .10 advantage over Irish national record holder Danielle Hill, the 24-year-old who earned her first-ever international medal last night by winning the 50m back gold.

Hill punched 1:00.52 to flank Vanotterdijk for tomorrow night’s main event while Poland’s Olympic qualifier Adela Piskorska will be on the other side with a semi swim of 1:00.71.

Of note, Hungarian World Junior Championships gold medalist from 2022 Dora Molnar lurks as the 7th seed in 1:01.39. She is already qualified for Paris in the 200m back but is seeking to double up in this shorter event. She’ll need to surpass the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 59.99 to get the job done.

MEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2017)
  • European Record: 25.95 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2017)
  • Championship Record: 26.09 – Adam Peaty, Great Britain (2018)

Top 8:

  1. Emre Sakci (TUR) – 26.93
  2. Bernhard Reitshammer (AUT) – 27.04
  3. Noel De Geus (GER) – 27.06
  4. Kristian Pitshugin (ISR) – 27.09
  5. Volodymyr Lisovets (UKR) – 27.25
  6. Heiko Gigler (AUT) – 27.33
  7. Peter John Stevens (SLO) – 27.35
  8. Nusrat Allahverdi (TUR) – 27.42

Turkey’s national record holder Emre Sakci clocked the sole time of the men’s 50m breaststroke field under 27 seconds as he took the top seed tonight.

In this non-Olympic event, 26-year-old Sakci set himself apart with a semi effort of 26.93. That holds a .11 edge over Austria’s Bernhard Reitshammer who is in the hunt with a result of 27.04 and Germany’s Noel De Geus is right behind in 27.06.

The field has a way to go to threaten British Olympic champion Adam Peaty‘s meet record of 26.09 established in 2018. In the meantime, Sakci now enters the season’s world rankings in slot #16.

Keep an eye on Slovenia’s Peter John Stevens who captured the 7th seed in 27.35 but owns a season-best of 26.79 from this year’s World Championships.

WOMEN’S 50 FREESTYLE – SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2023)
  • European Record: 23.61 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2023)
  • Championship Record: 23.74 – Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden (2018)

Top 8:

  1. Jana Pavalic (CRO) – 24.67
  2. Petra Senanszky (HUN) – 24.71
  3. Barbora Janickova (CZE) – 24.92
  4. Julie Kepp Jensen (DEN) – 24.94
  5. Kalia Antoniou (CYP) – 24.99
  6. Korneia Fiedkiewicz (POL) & Jessica Felsner (GER) – 25.00
  7. Theodora Drakou (GRE) – 25.11

Jana Pavalic scored a new Croatian national record as she soared to the top seed in this women’s 50m free.

At just 17 years of age, she managed to rip an outing of 24.67 to claim lane 4, producing one of 5 sub-25-second outings of the pack.

Pavalic shaved .10 off of her own national record and previous lifetime best of 24.77 notched just earlier this month at the Golden Bear.

We’ll see if she can hang on to the lead during tomorrow’s final where she’ll face the likes of 2nd-seeded Petra Senanszky of Hungary (24.71) and Barbora Janickova of the Czech Republic (24.92).

MEN’S 200 BUTTERFLY – SEMI-FINAL

Top 8:

  1. Kristof Milak (HUN) – 1:54.64
  2. Krzysztof Chmielewski (POL) – 1:55.12
  3. Michal Chmielewski (POL) – 1:55.76
  4. Richard Marton (HUN) – 1:56.05
  5. Apostolos Siskos (GRE) – 1:56.42
  6. Polat Turnali (TUR) – 1:56.94
  7. Ondrej Gemov (CZE) – 1:57.13
  8. Kregor Zirk (EST) – 1:57.15

World record holder and reigning Olympic champion Kristof Milak dominated the men’s 200m fly semi-finals, turning in a time of 1:54.64 to easily claim the top spot.

He usurped the leader out of the morning heats, Krzysztof Chmiewlewski of Poland who clocked 1:55.12 followed by his twin brother Michal Chmiewlewski who notched 1:55.76 for the 3rd seed.

Milak currently ranks #2 in the world this season, owning a season-best of 1:53.94 from the Mare Nostrum Tour. Only Olympic silver medalist Tomoru Honda of Japan has been faster, owning a season-best of 1:53.15 from September’s Asian Games.

WOMEN’S 200 INDIVIDUAL MEDLEY – SEMI-FINALS

  • World Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2015)
  • European Record: 2:06.12 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2015)
  • Championship Record: 2:07.30 – Katinka Hosszu, Hungary (2016)

Top 8:

  1. Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR) – 2:11.61
  2. Tamara Potocka (SVK) – 2:12.42
  3. Leah Schlosshan (GBR) – 2:12.70
  4. Lea Polonsky (ISR) – 2:12.93
  5. Lena Kreundl (AUT) – 2:13.25
  6. Dalma Sebestyen (HUN) – 2:13.57
  7. Barbora Seemanova (CZE) – 2:14.14
  8. Ellie McCartney (IRL) – 2:14.37

The semi-finals of the women’s 200m IM were on the subdued side, with no competitor dipping under the 2:11 threshold.

Israeli national record holder Anastasia Gorbenko led the field with a time of 2:11.61, well off the 2:08.55 standard she established last month on the Mare Nostrum Tour.

It will most likely be a race for 2nd place during tomorrow night’s final, although Slovakia’s Tamra Potocka and Great Britain’s Leah Schlosshan will be hunting her down. Potocka’s effort of 2:12.42 notched a new national record to fuel her campaign for a medal during the final.

MEN’S 50 BACKSTROKE – FINAL

  • World Record: 23.55 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2023)
  • European Record: 23.80 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2021)
  • Championship Record: 23.80 – Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia (2021)

GOLD – Apostolos Christou (GRE), 24.39
SILVER – Ksawery Masiuk (POL), 24.63
BRONZE – Evangelos Makrygiannis (GRE), 24.74

The top 3 seeds from last night’s semi-final retained their positions, with Greek athlete Apostolos Christou capturing gold in 24.39.

That was just .03 outside of his national record of 24.36 put on the books at the 2022 edition of these European Championships.

Polish national record holder Ksawery Masiuk claimed silver in 24.72, narrowly denying a Greek 1-2 finish.

Evangelos Makrygiannis settled for bronze in 24.73 while 3 additional swimmers were also under the 25-second barrier: Michael Laitarovsky (ISR) 24.87, Raif Tribuntsov (EST), 24.89, Adam Jaszo (HUN), 24.97.

WOMEN’S 1500 FREESTYLE – FINAL

  • World Record: 15:20.48 – Katie Ledecky, USA (2018)
  • European Record: 15:38.88 – Lotte Friis, Denmark (2013)
  • Championship Record: 15:50.22 – Boglarka Kapas, Hungary (2016)

GOLD – Vivien Jackl (HUN), 16:06.37
SILVER – Celine Rieder (GER), 16:15.98
BRONZE – Fleur Lewis (GBR), 16:17.53

We saw Hungary’s 15-year-old Vivient Jackl win her first-ever European Championships title in this women’s 1500m free.

The teen stopped the clock at 16:06.37 to beat the field by over 9 seconds en route to improving upon her previous lifetime best of 16:14.39 logged at this year’s Hungarian Championships.

She’s now the 11th-swiftest performer in the world this season and cleared the 16:09.09 World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time needed for next month’s Olympic Games.

MIXED 4×100 FREE RELAY – FINAL

  • World Record: 3:18.83 – Australia (2023)
  • European Record: 3:21.68 – Great Britain (2023)
  • Championship Record: 3:22.07 – France (2018)

GOLD – Hungary, 3:25.69
SILVER – Poland, 3:26.53
BRONZE – Germany, 3;27.01

 

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jablo
8 days ago

did Masiuk go 24.63 or 24.72?

nuotofan
Reply to  jablo
8 days ago
Owlmando
8 days ago

1.43.1 the dub looking all but sewn up in paris

snailSpace
8 days ago

Other than Ledecky, who has a faster time in the 1500 than Jackl’s 16:06 in the 14-15 age group? I’m assuming Summer McIntosh, but it must be up there with the best.

SwimmerFan99
Reply to  snailSpace
8 days ago

Summer has only swum the 1500FR five times in her life, the latest of which was a 16:15.19 when she was 14 years old. I think one could safely say she’d be right around 15:59 if she had swum it again at 15 years old based on her improvement trajectory.

To some extent it’s unfortunate she quit distance freestyle in the summer of 2021. That 8:11 mid-season 800FR without training for it was nuts.

cheeba
Reply to  snailSpace
8 days ago

Kathy Grimes 15:52 at the 2021 trials. But yeah, she is up there with the best for sure

David S
8 days ago

No one else in the world can break 44
And dude almost broke 43

Wanna Sprite?
Reply to  David S
8 days ago

He’s been 42.9

David S
Reply to  Wanna Sprite?
8 days ago

We know

PFA
8 days ago

“What’s not working” “No everything’s working” oh boy he cooked very hard

Swimmer.thingz
8 days ago

Chlorine DADDY 🔥🔥

Pdp
8 days ago

At this point that Kendrick line in Like That applies perfectly to Popovici…he is getting to Paris as the only big one and that is it

MPalota
8 days ago

We are not worthy.

About Retta Race

Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having just earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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