2018 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- August 3-9, 2018 (swimming portion)
- Glasgow, Scotland
- Tollcross International Swimming Centre
French swimmer Charlotte Bonnet took gold and a new Championship Record in the women’s 200 free on Monday evening in Glasgow. Her winning time of 1:54.95 was almost two seconds clear of the field, and jumped her to 11th in the all-time global rankings (and 5th all-time among Europeans).
Bonnet’s time is the fastest ever at a European Championship, improving upon the 1:55.30 done by Sarah Sjostrom in 2016 on a relay leadoff.
The current European and World Record holder Federica Pellegrini won each of the last 4 European long course championships in this event. While she’s swimming at this meet, she retired from the event after winning the World Championship last year (though she dusted off a 1:56.7 on Italy’s 5th-place mixed 800 free relay) earlier in the meet).
In spite of a run of success that includes 4 of the 11 fastest performances ever, Pellegrini was never able to muster better than a 1:55.45 at the European Championships, which she did in Budapest in 2010. She has been faster than that swim a dozen times in her career.
The late Camille Muffat still holds the French Record in the 200 free with a 1:54.66 from the June 6th, 2012 stop of the Canet Mare Nostrum series.
All-Time Top 10 Performers, Women’s 200 LCM Freestyle:
- Federica Pellegrini, Italy – 1:52.98 (2009)
- Allison Schmitt, USA – 1:53.61 (2012)
- Katie Ledecky, USA – 1:53.73 (2016)
- Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 1:54.08 (2016)
- Camille Muffat, France – 1:54.66 (2012)
- Femke Heemskerk, Netherlands – 1:54.68 (2015)
- (TIE) Missy Franklin, USA – 1:54.81 (2013)
- (TIE) Taylor Ruck, Canada – 1:54.81 (2018)
- Emma McKeon, Australia – 1:54.83 (2016)
- Ariarne Titmus, Australia – 1:54.85 (2018)
- Charlotte Bonnet, France – 1:54.95 (2018)
