50 freestyle
The top four women going into this event Fran Halsall of Great Britain, Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden, Jeanette Ottesen and Pernille Blume of Denmark have all recorded lifetime bests this year. With only two women posting times under the 24 second mark the race for gold should be between Hasall and Sjostrom with Britta Steffen’s 2009 world record of 23.73 in their sights.
Halsall had an outstanding Commonwealth Games where she won gold in both the 50 freestyle and butterfly setting new Commonwealth records in each event. She also collected two silver medals as part of the women’s 4 x 100 freestyle and medley relays. Halsall looked rejuvenated in Glasgow and the momentum and confidence that she gained at the games should spill over to her performances in Berlin.
If 2010 is any indication of how Halsall will perform at the European Championships when they follow the Commonwealth Games, we are in for a treat, as she made significant improvement in time in all of her events between the two events.
Since Barcelona Sjostrom has been on a tear. Until the Commonwealth Games she was head and shoulders above everyone in the world rankings in several events. The Swedish star finished just behind Halsall at the 2013 World Championships, but has improved the time that she posted in Barcelona, 24.45, by almost half a second over the last year.
Danish teammates Jeanette Ottesen and Pernille Blume have been swimming very well under the tutelage of Shannon Rollason. Both athletes have put up lifetime best times this season in the 50 freestyle, with Ottesen recording a 24.40 and Blume posting a 24.59.
Ottesen finished fifth in the 50 freestyle in Barcelona. Although Ottesen has had a strong season up until this point she will need to have an incredible performance in this event to challenge for the gold.
Blume comes in the fourth fastest time in Europe and has improved by close to half a second in this event over the last year. Her stock is rising, but she has always had trouble when going head to head with her Danish teammate.
Inge Dekker of the Netherlands has a season’s best of 24.72 and a lifetime best of 24.42, which she posted in 2012. Dekker has been very successful in individual butterfly events at the highest level, but has not experienced the same amount of success in the freestyle events.
Olympic silver medalist Aleksandra Herasimenia of Belarus will be in the mix having recorded a season’s best of 24.73 and a lifetime best of 24.28. Herasimenia was absent from last year’s World Championships, but did have a strong showing at the Universiade in the event posting a 24.48.
Two veterans, Femke Heemskerk of the Netherlands and Dorothea Brandt of Germany, round out the top eight qualifiers for the European Championships. Heemskerk has posted a season and lifetime best of 24.80 in April while Brandt, who has a lifetime best of 24.51, has recorded a season’s best of 24.82.
My top six:
- Fran Halsall (GBR) – 23.96 (2014)
- Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 23.98 (2014)
- Aleksandra Herasimenia (BLR) – 24.28 (2012)
- Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) – 24.40 (2014)
- Inge Dekker (NED) – 24.42 (2012)
- Pernille Blume (DEN) – 24.59 (2014)
100 freestyle
Unlike the 50 freestyle Sarah Sjostrom comes into Berlin with the fastest time in Europe by far, having posted a lifetime best time of 52.73 in April. Sjostrom finished second to Cate Campbell in this event last year at the World Championships. It looks like the Swede will not have a lot of competition for the top spot on the podium in Germany.
Femke Heemskerk has recorded a season and lifetime best time of 53.39, improving on her previous best of 53.60, which she recorded in 2011. Heemskerek finished fifth in this event at the World Championships and was the bronze medal winner at the 2010 European Championships.
Sjostrom’s teammate Michelle Coleman posted a lifetime best of 53.66 in April. In Barcelona last summer Coleman was able to put up a lifetime best of 53.91 leading off the Swedish 4 x 100 freestyle relay, but was ousted in the semi-final of the event after posting a 54.62.
Pernille Blume has had a strong year in 2014 dropping her lifetime best in the 100 freestyle from a 54.06 to a 53.69. Blume had an off year in the event in 2013 posting a season’s best of 54.68.
Over the last year Jeanette Ottesen has posted lifetime bests in the the 50 freestyle and the butterfly events, but has definitely not found her stride in the 100 freestyle. She has recorded a season’s best of 53.78, which is the fastest time she has recorded since 2011, but is still off her textile best of 53.45.
Aleksandra Herasimenia finished second to Fran Halsall in this event at the 2010 European Championships. The Olympic silver medalist comes into the event with a season’s best of 53.89. She won this event at the Universiade last summer in a season’s best of 53.50 and has a lifetime best of 53.38 which she posted in London.
Halsall posted a 53.99 in Glasgow placing fourth at the Commonwealth Games. She took this event in 2010, but will not likely be much of a factor in Berlin as she continues to show improvement in her power and speed, but has not beat her textile best of 53.48 since 2011.
My top six:
- Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) – 52.73 (2014)
- Aleksandra Herasimenia (BLR) – 53.38 (2012)
- Femke Heemskerk (NED) – 53.39 (2014)
- Pernille Blume (DEN) – 53.69 (2014)
- Michelle Coleman (SWE) – 53.66 (2014)
- Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) – 53.78
In 2010, Halsall made improvement in all events from the CWG to European because she had Delhi belly in the CWG.
I don’t think Halsall will improve in the 50. She seemed to have targeted to peak at the CWG, but we will see.
Also the meets were the other way round in 2010 – Euros first then onto Commonwealth games – so combined with illness, you can’t draw any conclusions about improvement from one to the other.
No Kromo mentioned? Is she out for some reason?
mcgillrocks – yep, she’s pulled out of the meet.
Sjöström show all week! 😆
And go Charlotte! 😎
Halsall had a 52.9 medley relay split for ENG in Glasgow, which could put her in the medal hunt
52.58 even I believe.