Denmark has broken the women’s 200 SCM freestyle relay World Record that Sweden set in prelims, though they’re still not even close to the European and Championship Records.
The Danes put a charge into a home crowd with a 1:37.04 in the race, which cleared the 1:37.21 that Sweden swam in prelims for the top seed. Denmark wasn’t that fast in the morning heats, but they made some wholesale changes to their relays, resulting in the new record.
The four swimmers were Pernille Blume (24.90), Jeanette Ottesen (23.66), Kelly Rasmussen (24.63), and Mie Nielsen (23.85). The swim is Denmark’s second-straight win in the event, though Nielsen this year, who was injured at last year’s meet, took the spot of Julie Levisen.
The Danish women not only have good young swimmers on their relays, but they’ve got serious continuity, as they have largely the same faces at every relay. That can be a key for a country with a small but elite swimming populous to winding up on relay podiums at the Olympics. Blume and Rasmussen are just 19, Nielsen is just 17, and Ottesen is the veteran of the group at 26.
The European and Championship Records, which were done at the 2009 edition of this meet before FINA recognized these events as worthy of World Records, are set at 1:33.25 but the Dutch.
This is some much-needed excitement for the home country fans, who are waiting for the events where their stars show up. The arena was only about half full (still a decent crowd), though more are expected for later days of the meet.
I knew the Danish girls would be ready for a big show at home this week.