2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- February 11th – February 18th
- Doha, Qatar
- LCM (50m)
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- Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap
- Euro Recap Day 1: Germany Starts off Strong
- Euro Recap Day 2: Diogo Matos Ribeiro Wins Portugal’s First Worlds Gold
- Euro Recap Day 3: Hugo Gonzalez Wins Spain’s First Swimming Worlds Medal in 7 Years
- Euro Recap Day 4: Daniel Wiffen Earns Ireland’s First World Championship Swimming Medal
- Euro Recap Day 5: Italy On Pace for Their Biggest Medal Haul Since 2001
Before Tes Schouten and Marrit Steenbergen stepped up to the blocks on Day 6 of the 2023 World Championships, it had actually only been two World Championships since a Dutch woman stood on the podium. But the retirement of Femke Heemskerk and Ranomi Kromowidjojo one after the other, it marked the end of an era in Dutch swimming and it wasn’t clear who was going to step up.
Schouten and Steenbergen both won individual bronze medals in Fukuoka in personal best times (and a national record in Schouten’s case). Schouten took bronze in the 200 breast and Steenbergen the 100 free. Together, they began to put Dutch women’s swimming back on the map.
Schouten’s rise began before Worlds last season. She broke the Dutch 200 breast record multiple times over the course of the year. It all started in March 2023, when she posted 2:23.38 for a new national record. A month later, she lowered the record to 2:22.21 at the Eindhoven Qualification Meet.
In June 2023, she cut more time from her record with a 2:21.71. In Fukuoka, she swam 2:21.63 en route to bronze. But she wasn’t done for the season. At the Budapest World Cup stop, she brought the record even lower with a 2:21.52. That’s the mark she cut .02 seconds off during semifinals in Doha to qualify first overall for the final.
There, she continued her rise up the ranks of the event. The 23-year-old led from start to finish en route to her first individual Worlds gold. She stopped the clock at 2:19.81, moving up to #9 on the all-time top performers list and becoming the tenth woman to break the 2:20 barrier.
In less than a year, Schouten has dropped 3.57 seconds from her personal best, turning herself into a medal contender in Paris.
All-Time Performers, Women’s 200 Breast
- Evgenia Chikunova (RUS) — 2:17.55 (2023)
- Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) — 2:18.95 (2021)
- Rikke Pedersen (DEN) — 2:19.11 (2013)
- Kate Douglass (USA) — 2:19.30 (2024)
- Yuliya Efimova (RUS) — 2:19.41 (2013)
- Rebecca Soni (USA) — 2:19.59 (2012)
- Victoria Gunes (TUR) — 2:19.64 (2015)
- Rie Kaneto (JPN) — 2:19.65 (2016)
- Tes Schouten (NED) — 2:19.81 (2024)
- Lilly King (USA) — 2:19.92 (2021)
Schouten’s gold medal also marks the Netherlands’ first in the women’s 200 breaststroke at Worlds. In 2023, she became just the second Dutch woman to medal in the event, the first being Wijda Mazereeuw, who won silver at the 1975 Championships.
Steenbergen’s gold medal effort was also one for the record books. She threw down a 52.26 for gold in the 100 freestyle. Not only did that break her own Dutch record, but it launched her up the all-time performers list to 8th. She first took down the Dutch record in semifinals, breaking Heemskerk’s 52.69 mark that had stood since 2015.
Less than a year removed from earning their first individual Worlds medals in Fukuoka, both Schouten and Steenbergen upgraded those medals to gold, solidifying their status as the new stars of the Dutch roster.
Quick Hits
- Schouten and Steenbergen weren’t the only ones on the Dutch roster to win a medal today. Caspar Corbeau claimed his first World Championship medal, earning silver. In August, Corbeau left Texas (where he competed in the NCAA) and returned to train in the Netherlands with fellow breaststrokers Schouten and Arno Kamminga. Corbeau clocked 2:08.24 for silver, less than three-tenths off his 2:07.99 personal best.
- Hugo Gonzalez put the pedal down on the final 50 meters of the men’s 200 backstroke to claim his first world title, beating the defending champion Roman Mityukov. Earlier in the meet, Gonzalez won silver in the 100 back, earning Spain’s first swimming medal at a World Championships in seven years. Gonzalez swam closed in 28.98 to touch the wall in 1:55.30, a new personal best time that marks his first time sub-1:56. At 2023 Worlds, Gonzalez swam his first PB in the 200 backstroke in seven years. The full men’s 200 backstroke field is littered with 1:55-mids, but Gonzalez is making improvements at the right time in the run up to Paris. “I think that tonight was the first time I got emotional on a podium, he said. “It didn’t happen before, it didn’t happen back in years when I was a young swimmer. It’s about knowing that everything I’ve put into work in the past years and all this effort has paid off.”
Other Continental and National Records
- Diogo Matos Ribeiro, the new 50 butterfly world champion, swam a new Portugese record to qualify first for the men’s 100 butterfly final. The 19-year-old Ribeiro swam 51.30, bettering the 51.45 he clocked at the Portuguese Open in April 2023.
- Vladyslav Bukhov broke Andrii Govorov‘s Ukrainian record in the men’s 50 freestyle. During semifinals, Bukhov ripped 21.38, qualifying 2nd and shaving .08 seconds off Govorov’s record that had stood since the 2016 Olympics.
- Andrej Barna broke the Serbian 50 freestyle record twice on Day 6 of the World Championships. During the heats, he swam a 22.05. Then, he dipped under 22 seconds for the first time in his career, swimming 21.89 in semifinals. Barna started the day holding the record in 22.09, over the course of the day he took two-tenths off the mark set at the 2022 European Championships.
- The team of Dimitrios Markos (1:46.74), Konstantinos Englezakis (1:47.65), Konstantinos Stamou (1:48.02), and Andreas Vazaios (1:46.69) took down the 4×200 freestyle Greek record during finals. They combined for a 7:09.10, taking eight-tenths off the record they set in the heats.
European Medal Table Thru Day 6
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Netherlands | 3 | 2 | 5 | |
| Italy | 1 | 5 | 2 | 8 |
| Great Britain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Spain | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Germany | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Portugal | 1 | 1 | ||
| Ireland | 1 | 1 | ||
| Switzerland | 1 | 1 | ||
| Lithuania | 1 | 1 | ||
| Denmark | 1 | 1 | ||
| Sweden | 1 | 1 | ||
| Greece | 1 | 1 | ||
| Austria | 1 | 1 | ||
| Hungary | 1 | 1 | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1 | 1 |
Still hoping Chikunova swim in Paris.
If not, we’ll have a fantastic 3-way battle between Schoenmaker – Douglas – Schouten.
That race was over at 50. Douglass had to get the lead, like the recent race against Lilly where Douglass had more urgency and early speed than ever before. This time either Douglass was sapped from 100 freestyle or underestimated was Schouten was capable of.
Evolving event. A 2:22 looked good a few years ago but now is worth nothing. When everything is faster you have to grab early. Douglass is not going to glide past the field.
There is still a chance for her but she may have waited one year too long to understand that your 200 breaststroke upside is dictated by your 100 breaststroke speed.
A great swim by Schouten!
But that profile pic is creepy