2016 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Monday, May 16th – Sunday, May 22nd
- Prelims: 10:00 AM (London Time) / 5:00 AM (Eastern Time)
- Finals: 6:00 PM (London Time) / 1:00 PM (Eastern Time)
- London Aquatics Center, London, UK
- Meet Central
- Psych Sheet
- Live Results
- Live Stream
After putting up a time of 3:47.63 in the men’s 400 free heats this morning at the European Championships, the Netherlands’ Maarten Brzoskowski scored a national record in the final, placing 5th in a time of 3:47.09. The previous national record belonged to Dutch freestyle legend Pieter van den Hoogenband, who put up a time of 3:47.20 at the Dutch National Championships in 2002.
Here’s a comparative look at Brzoskowski’s splits tonight in the final versus van den Hoogenband’s splits from 2002.
- van den Hoogenband, 2002: 53.31 / 1:50.98 (57.67) / 2:49.58 (58.60) / 3:47.20 (57.62)
- Brzoskowski, 2016: 54.24 / 1:52.24 (58.00) / 2:50.51 (58.27) / 3:47.09 (56.58)
van den Hoogenband was much better known for his ability in the 100 and 200 freestyle, and it is evident when looking at the splits as he was much faster than Brzoskowski early on in the race. Brzoskowski earned the national record over the final 100m, out splitting van den Hoogenband by over a second. van den Hoogenband has seven Olympic medals to his name, including gold in the 100 free and 200 free in 2000 and another gold in the 100 in 2004. The 400 wasn’t an event he swam regularly in international competition.
Coming into the meet Brzoskowski’s best was a 3:47.32 from the Swim Cup in Amsterdam in December. He is also strong in the 200, 800 and 1500 freestyles, boasting long course bests of 1:47.17, 7:54.31, and 15:10.91 respectively. The other events he’ll compete in London are the 100 and 200 freestyles, where he is seeded 47th and 6th respectively.
PVH was awesome. He won bronze in the 50 in 2000, and also was a 3:47 in the 400 at a time when a 3:47 was much less common. I can’t think of anyone that has ever had that range in the 50-100-200-400.
Sjostrom? She’s done 4:06 in the 400
Agree 100%.
I had no clue his range went all the way up to 400. Heck, his time would have won silver at 2002 European Champs and placed 4th at 2003 Worlds. Had he tried, he could have conceivably won an Olympic medal in every freestyle 50 to 400 if he changed his training (ie focusing on only 200/400 for 2004, which obviously he didn’t do).
Thorpe was a beast in the 100 to 800 free range (won Bronze in Athens in the 100 and was WR holder in the 800). Katie Ledecky has a 100 to 1500 free range. Some would perhaps contend there is more difference between a 50 and a 400 free than there is between a 100 and a 1500 free.
But it is the 50 speed that is unique…..