Efimova Takes Down Soni’s 200 Breaststroke World Record

In a rematch of the 200 breaststroke from this summer’s World Championships, Russian Yuliya Efimova and Rikke Moeller Pedersen faced off in the for the European crown tonight in Herning. The race did not disappoint as Efimova won the event breaking Rebecca Soni‘s 2009 world record of 2:14.57 winning the event in a time of 2:14.39.

• Soni (2009) – 31.05/1:05.18 (34.13)/1:40.00 (34.82)/2:14.57 (34.57)
• Efimova (2013) – 31.14/1:05.24 (34.10)/1:39.33 (34.09)/2:14.39 (35.06)

Much like their race in Barcelona Pederson took the race swiftly turning at the halfway mark in a time of 1:04.79 well under the world record, but once again the second half of the race belonged to Efimova. Pedersen, the long course world record holder, eventually finished second in a time of 2:15.21 better her previous lifetime best of 2:15.93.

Efimova has had a tremendous season winning both the 50 and 200 breaststroke in Barcelona, setting the world record in the short course 50 breaststroke at the World Cup in Tokyo and taking the 50 breaststroke on the first night in Herning beating long course world record holder Ruta Meilutyte.

Russian Vitalina Simonova finished third in a time of 2:18.88.

Men’s 400 IM

The men’s 400 IM may not have produced very impressive final results, but it once an epic battle between the top three swimmers.

Gal Nevo of Israel lead after the butterfly, Hungarian David Verraszto led by more than two seconds after the backstroke, Nevo made up almost all that ground in the breaststroke and the freestyle as the two man fought for the victory Italian Federico Turrini made a push to catch them both almost overcoming a two second gap in the final 100 meters.

• Verraszto – 56.92/1:57.36 (1:00.44)/3:06.20 (1:08.84)/4:03.48 (57.28)
• Nevo – 56.46/1:59.58 (1:03.12)/3:06.79 (1:07.21)/4:03.50 (56.71)
• Turrini – 57.46/1:59.75 (1:02.29)/3:08.87 (1:09.12)/4:03.94 (55.07)

Women’s 800 freestyle

In the first event of the evening on the second day of the 2013 European Short Course Championships in Herning saw Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain and Danish star and home crowd favourite Lotte Friis battle for the women’s 800 freestyle crown.

Belmonte Garcia showed yesterday that she was in strong form, winning the women’s 200 butterfly breaking Katinka Hosszu’s european record in the process. In tonight’s final the world record holder in the 400 and 800 freestyle was pushed by Friis who collected silver in both the 800 and 1500 freestyle in Barcelona this summer.

Friis took the race out aggressively turning at the 200 meter mark two seconds ahead of Belmonte Garcia and over a second at the halfway point (Friis – 4:00.23  Belmonte Garcia – 4:01.79), who after that point start to reel in the Dane who won the event at the 2012 European Short Course Championships.

Belmonte Garcia took over the lead with 250 meters to go eventually winning the event in a time of 8:05.18 well off the world and european mark of 7:59.34, which she posted earlier this year. Friis finished second in a time of 8:08.68.

Sharon Rouwendaal of the Netherlands finished third in a time of 8:14.24.

Women’s 100 freestyle

Olympic champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands took the 100 freestyle in a time of 51.78. It was no surprise that Kromowidjojo won the event as she came in as the world’s number one ranked swimmer, having posted a 51.28 earlier in the years and displayed impressive speed in the 50 freestyle at the Amsterdam Cup last weekend.

The race did play out a bit differently as one may have thought with Fran Halsall leading at the halfway point turning in a time of 25.06, while Kromowidjojo hit the wall in fourth with a time of 25.14, Halsall fell off the pace finishing fifth while Sarah Sjoestroem, swimming her second event of the evening, took the silver in a time of 51.99, just off her season’s best of 51.93.

Aliaksandra Herasimenia of Belarus finished third in a time of 52.34.

Women’s 100 backstroke

The crowd finally got what they wanted as Danish swimmer Mie Nielsen took the country’s first individual gold of the competition winning the event in a time of 55.99. Nielsen did not only win the event, but set a new european record breaking Russian Kseniya Moskvina‘s 2009 record of 56.36. She also destroyed her own Danish mark of 56.73, which she set at last year’s short course world championships in Istanbul.

Nielsen was followed closely by Simona Baumrtova of the Czech Republic, who was also under the previous european mark, hitting the wall in a time of 56.28 while 2012 european champion Daryna Zevina of the Ukraine finished third in a time of 56.94.

Men’s 100 butterfly

World record holder Evegeny Korotyshkin of Russia took the men’s 100 butterfly in a time of 49.68. Korotyshkin was the only swimmer to go under the 50 second mark.

Swimming his second event of the evening Jeremy Stravius of France finished second in a time of 50.09 just off his season’s best of 50.04. German Steffen Diebler who used his speed in the first half of the race, leading at the halfway point turning in a time of 22.93 finished well off his season’s best of 49.38, posting a time of 50.23 taking home the bronze.

Men’s 100 breaststroke

200 breaststroke world champion Daniel Gyurta of Hungary took the men’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 57.08, just off his season’s best of 56.79. He was challenged by German Marco Koch how posted a time of 57.14 followed by Slovenian Damir Dugonjic who finished third recording a time of 57.24.

Women’s 50 butterfly – Final

Winning her second medal of the evening Sarah Sjoestroem took the 50 butterfly in a championship record time of 24.90, which is one one-hundredth of a second better than her season’s best of 24.91. She was followed by long course world champion Jeanette Ottesen of Denmark who collected the silver posting a time of 25.03.

Inge Dekker of the Netherlands finished third in a time of 25.29.

Men’s 50 backstroke – Final

Jeremy Stravius of France won his second medal of the evening winning the men’s 50 backstroke in a time of 23.19, just off his season’s best and world’s top ranked time of 22.99. German Christian Diener finished second in a time of 23.38 followed by Belarusian Pavel Sankovic who finished third posting a time of 23.45.

Mixed 4 x 50 medley relay

The Russian team won the event by over a second half setting a new world record time of 1:37.63 breaking the old mark set by the Australians at the World Cup in Tokyo.

• Russians – 23.70/28.39/25.29/20.25
• Australians – Bobby Hurley (23.46)/Christian Sprenger (25.91)/Alicia Coutts (25.19)/Cate Campbell (23.28)

The race for second was incredible with the next eight teams only separated by 87 one-hundredths of a second. In the end Germany took second posting a time of 1:39.32 followed by the Czech Republic who finished in a time of 1:39.54.

Men’s 100 freestyle – Semi-final

Italian Marco Orsi took the first semi-final in a time of 46.64 putting up the fastest time heading into the final. Russian Vlad Morozov won the second semi-final in a time of 46.66 to qualify second while Fabien Gilot of France qualified in the third position recording a time of 46.91.

Women’s 100 IM – Semi-final

In her only event of the evening Katinka Hosszu qualified for the final with the fastest time putting up a 58.37 to win the second semi-final. Ruta Meilutyte finished just behind Hosszu recording a time of 58.78 followed by Amit Ivri of Israel who qualified third with a time of 58.87.

Men’s 50 backstroke – Semi-final

Jeremy Stravius of France took the second semi-final in a time of 23.65 and will be the fastest qualifier in the final which will go later this evening. Stravius was pushed by Pavel Sankovic of Belarus who posted a time of 23.68. Italian Niccolo Bonacchi won the first semi-final in a time of 23.66.

Although there is little separating the top three times in the semi-final this will probably not be the case as Stravius, who is the world’s top ranked swimmer has a season’s best time of 22.99.

Women’s 50 butterfly – Semi-final

No surprises in the women’s 50 butterfly semi-final as Sarah Sjoestroem of Sweden took the first heat in a time of 25.45 to qualify with the fastest time going into tonight’s final. Hometown favourite, world champion, Jeanette Ottesen won the second semi in a time of 25.47 and put up the next fastest time ,on two one-hundredths of a second behind Sjoestroem. Inge Dekker of the Netherlands qualified in the third position recording a time of 25.62.

The three women came into the competition as the top three ranked athletes in the event in Europe. With Ottesen and Sjoestroem both having season’s bests under the 25 second mark look for the two have an exciting battle tonight that will result in much more impressive performances.

• Women’s 800 freestyle
• Men’s 50 backstroke – semi-final
• Women’s 50 butterfly – semi-final
• Men’s 400 IM
• Women’s 200 breaststroke
• Men’s 100  breaststroke
• Women’s 100 freestyle
• Men’s 100 freestyle – semi-final
• Women’s 100 backstroke
• Men’s 100 butterfly
• Women’s 100 IM – semi-final
• Men’s 50 backstroke
• Women’s 50 butterfly
• 4 x 50 mixed medley relay

Prelims recap can be found here Full results can be found here