Dutch Women Scorch SCM Medley Relay Record; Toussaint Puts Up 56.65 Lead-Off

2019 DUTCH NATIONAL RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Sunday, September 22nd
• Eindhoven, Netherlands
• SCM
• Results

Dutch athletes got a jump on the short course meters season today in Eindhoven, with some of the nation’s best athletes competing at their annual National Relay Championships. Maaike De Waard, Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Arno Kamminga, Kira Toussaint, Femke Heemskerk and more were in the short course meters competition, racing in traditional relays, such as the 4x100m medley, but also unique formats, such as the 4x100m breaststroke event.

The women’s combination of De Waard, Kim Busch, Kromowidjojo and Heemskerk combined to clock a massive new national standard of 3:55.98 in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.

Kicking things off in a split of 59.12 De Waard of PSV trailed De Doflijn swimmer Toussaint, who boasted a monster opening leg of 56.65 on backstroke for her squad that ultimately finished runner-up.

As an aside, Toussaint owns the Dutch NR in the 100m back event in a time of 55.92, a mark she produced at the Singapore World Cup stop last year. Her 56.65 lead-off today would have rendered her the bronze medalist at the 2018 Short Course World Championships as a perspective for how quick it was for an early SCM meet.

After De Waard, Busch took over with a 1:07.39 breaststroke split, with Kromo nailing a fly leg of 57.54 to put the PSV1 squad on course for victory. Heemskerk sealed the deal with a scorching anchor of 51.93. All told, the women’s time of 3:55.98 crushed the previous Dutch National Record in the SCM edition of the 4x100m medley relay of 4:00.28 that’s been on the books since 2008.

Two additional national records were seen in the respective men’s and women’s 10x100m freestyle relay event. The women’s team stopped the clock in a collective time of 9:13.88, while the men’s ten-strong relay busted out a winning effort of 8:22.99.

Heemskerk nailed the quickest split for the women in a time of 52.53, while the fastest man came in the form of Kyle Stolk‘s 48.18. Below are the splits for each national record-setting team.