2024 ROTTERDAM QUALIFICATION MEET
- Thursday, November 28th – Sunday, December 1st
- Rotterdam, Netherlands
- LCM (50m)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Entries/Results
- Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap
- Livestream
25-year-old Nyls Korstanje raced on just the final day of the 2024 Rotterdam Qualification Meet but the Dutchman made the most of his two appearances.
First, in the men’s 50m fly, Korstanje blasted a winning time of 22.88 to grab the gold.
That equaled his own Dutch national record of 22.88 logged in the semi-finals of the event at the 2022 European Championshps.
Korstanje produced the sole sub-23-second time of this Rotterdam field, with teammate Thomas Verhoeven next to the wall in 23.22 while British swimmer Jacob Peters rounded out the podium in 23.79.
Several events later, Korstanje dove back in for the men’s 50m free, putting up a solid in-season swim of 22.28.
That checked in as the former NC State standout’s 11th-best performance of his career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 21.98 from the 2020 edition of this competition.
Jacob Mills of Great Britain snagged 50m free silver in 22.45 and former national record holder Kenzo Simons bagged bronze in 22.67.
Highlights from the women’s events included Scottish national record holder Kara Hanlon getting the job done in the 100m breast.
27-year-old Hanlon turned in a time of 1:07.54 to hold a healthy advantage over countrywoman Theodora Taylor who touched over 2 seconds later in 1:09.81. Jasmine Carter, also of GBR, hit 1:10.52 as teh bronze medalist.
The Netherlands’ Milou van Wijk followed up her 100m free golden personal best last night with a victory in the 50m free to close out her campaign.
The just-turned-20-year-old van Wijk posted 24.94 to produce the 2nd-best time of her young career. Her career-quickest remains at the 24.86 logged this past April with tonight’s result representing just her 2nd ever foray under the 25-second barrier.
British swimmer Skye Carter blasted a new personal best of 24.94 en route to securing silver behind van Wijk.
Carter, just 16 years of age, is the reigning Commonwealth Youth Games champion in the splash n’ dash, having earned gold in Trinidad & Tobago in a then-personal best of 25.15.
Tonight’s result establishes a new British Age Record for 16-year-olds, making Carter the first teen of her age to get under the 25-second barrier.
Finally, 15-year-old Amelie Blocksidge continued to impress, taking the women’s 800m free by over 9 seconds.
Blocksidge stopped the clock at 8:38.62 for the gold. The teen represents GBR’s 12th-swiftest performer in history, courtesy of her lifetime best of 8:30.05 notched for gold at this year’s European Junior Championships.
Additional Winners
- Belgium’s Sarah Dumont topped the women’s 400m free podium in 4:16.49. She is the national record holder with her PB of 4:06.27 from last year’s Sette Colli Trophy.
- Dutchman Tiago Fonseca Gomes clocked 3:52.52 as the men’s 400m free gold medalist, beating the field by nearly 4 seconds.
- The women’s 50m fly saw Sandra Maria Balto of Norway punch a result of 26.76 as the sole swimmer under the 27-second barrier.
- The men’s 100m breast was void of anyone getting beneath the minute mark, with GBR’s Max Morgan nabbing gold in 1:00.18 by over a second.
