Day 3 of the 2014 Short Course World Championships was punctuated by 5 world records, the last one coming courtesy of the women’s 4×100 free relay from the Netherlands.
The Dutch ladies already crushed the 4×200 free relay world record on day 1, and they’re probably even better in the shorter relays, so this one isn’t a huge surprise. Still, the 4×50 and 4×100 free relay records seem faster (relatively speaking) than the 4×200, so it’s awfully impressive that Holland broke this mark by nearly two full seconds.
The Netherlands already held the record, first breaking it in 2008 in their home capital of Amsterdam. That record was a 3:28.22, and the 2014 iteration of that squad went 3:26.53.
Inge Dekker and Ranomi Kromowidjojo were members of both relays. Joining them on the new world record-holding team are Femke Heemskerk and Maud van der Meer, and it was Heemskerk who had the most dominating split:
| 2014 Netherlands | 2008 Netherlands | ||
| Inge Dekker | 52.39 | 52.88 | Hinkelien Schreuder |
| Femke Heemskerk | 50.58 | 52.24 | Inge Dekker |
| Maud van der Meer | 52.55 | 52.12 | Ranomi Kromowidjojo |
| Ranomi Kromowidjojo | 51.01 | 50.98 | Marleen Veldhuis |
| 3:26.53 | 3:28.22 | ||
Heemskerk has come up big for the Netherlands so far, also putting up the best split on the 4×200 free relay. The nation will go for the free relay sweep on Sunday, chasing the world record of 1:37.03 set by Denmark at last year’s European Championships.
Huge performance from the Dutch girls. Monster leg from Femke Heemskerk.
But also great fight from the US girls. Very good leg from Miss Weitzeil.
It will be different in long course with Simone and Missy for the American team and also the Australian team in the water.
Race video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tv6-b18GKKE
With Simone improving so much and Weitzel getting better , Missy in great shape and Natalie or Shannon Vreeland , the Us has a great new squad for next year WC LC . It will be great battle with the Aussies .
50.58 from Heemskerk!! Damm!
On a more prosaic note, I really do wish the US swam short course metres. I’ve always said that swimming is a bit of laboratory experiment: Different people, all over the world, replicate the same event and we all get to compare. That comparison goes out the door when one group use a different size beaker.
Absolutely amazing swim from the Dutch, aspecially Femke.
A 50.58 split (+0.34 take over)…. wow…