2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd
- Budapest, Hungary
- Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
- Event Site
- Entry List
- Live Stream
Dutch sprinter Femke Heemskerk has officially added her name to the list of the fastest women’s 100m freestyle splits of all time, putting up the 11th fastest split in history as a member of her country’s 4×100 mixed freestyle relay.
Anchoring the Netherlands’ relay, Heemskerk threw down a split of 51.73 in an attempt to chase down Great Britain’s Freya Anderson. Although Heemskerk was unable to catch her, the Dutch team finished 2nd overall, claiming a silver meal with a time of 3:22.26.
Heemskerk’s split clocks in as the 10th-fastest relay split in history, with 8 of the 10-fastest times being held by Australian ace Cate Campbell. The only other women faster than her are Bronte Campbell, who split 51.57 at the 2018 Commonwealth Games; Swede Sarah Sjostrom, who split 51.71 at the 2017 World Championships, and Canadian Taylor Ruck, who split a 51.72 at the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships.
Fastest All-Time Performers, Women’s 100 Freestyle on a Relay Split (all relays)
- Cate Campbell, Australia – 50.93
- Bronte Campbell, Australia – 51.57
- Sarah Sjostrom, Sweden – 51.71 (opening leg)
- Femke Heemskerk, Netherlands – 51.73
- Taylor Ruck, Canada – 51.72
- Pernille Blume, Denmark – 51.77
- Simone Manuel, United States – 51.86
- Ranomi Kromowidjojo, Netherlands – 51.93
- Britta Steffen, Germany – 51.99
Earlier in the session, Heemskerk won the individual 100m freestyle with a time of 53.05, earning her first gold medal in the event after previously winning 2 silver medals and 2 bronze medals. Following the race, Heemskerk said, “I’m crying, yes… This is my first individual gold medal. I was working a lot for this event, I’m the oldest in this field but I have a motto: never give up!”
The 33 year-old holds a personal best of 52.69 from 2015, with her time from tonight being her 3rd-fastest time ever.
Over the course of the Championships, Heemskerk has been an essential piece of the Dutch relay teams, splitting 51 seconds a total of three times this week, including a 51.99 on the 4×100 freestyle relay and a 51.87 anchoring the mixed 4×100 medley relay in addition to her most recent split.
Don’t forget Bronte is on the list. Not only Taylor like the article says.
Happy for her, especially after getting COVID and then the emotional turmoil of the COVID ban related to her husband getting it from her qualifying meet. Plus, she always seems so joyful when she races, no matter the outcome. But she busted loose some serious joy when she saw she won. That was fabulous. Good for her. What a relay studdette, too.
Maybe she can add a fourth one today in the womens medley relay 🙂
Bronte Campbell’s 51.4 from 2018 Commonwealth Games was missing.
If you’re talking about the medley relay it was the 51.57 listed.
Wow 33! Giving me Dara Torres vibes… goes to show cate Campbell can still keep going as well
Cate has said she is considering swimming until Paris.
Ha, we got a Campbell moment
3 swims for her under 52 this week on relays
What’s the source for this ranking of splits? I’m fairly sure swimmingstats uses the FINA rankings for the other rankings but FINA doesn’t track splits.
Swimmingstats use their own database, acquired over the years.