32-Year-Old Ari-Pekka Liukkonen on Taking Euro Champ 50 Free Title: “Finally”

2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd, 2021
• Budapest, Hungary
• Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
• Event Site
• Entry List
• Live Results
• Live Stream

Reported by James Sutherland.

MEN’S 50 FREE FINAL

• European Record: 20.94, Frederick Bousquet (FRA), 2009
• European Championship Record: 21.11, Ben Proud (GBR), 2018
• FINA ‘A’ Cut: 22.01

1. Ari-Pekka Liukkonen (FIN), 21.61
2. Ben Proud (GBR), 21.69
3. Kristian Gkolomeev (GRE), 21.73

In the tightly contested men’s 50 free final, Finland’s Ari-Pekka Liukkonen had the power over the closing meters, inching ahead of the field to win the gold medal in a time of 21.61.

Liukkonen, 32, falls .03 shy of his National Record set in 2017, and moves into third in the world this season. The Finn was the bronze medalist back in 2014.

2018 champion Ben Proud got in for silver in 21.69, his third straight medal in the event and good for fifth in the world this season.