Marrit Steenbergen Becomes 1st Dutch Woman Sub-2:10 in 200 IM — Twice in One Day

2023 EINDHOVEN QUALIFICATION MEET

• April 6th – April 10th
• Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• LCM (50m)
• Results

Marrit Steenbergen took down the Dutch record in the 200 IM on the back half of an epic double in Eindhoven on Saturday.

The 23-year-old began the finals session by winning the 100 free in 53.10, lowering her previous-best 53.24 from her victory at the European Championships last August. Steenbergen is now less than half a second away from Femke Heemskerk’s national record (52.69) from 2015. She was the only swimmer under the World Championships ‘A’ cut (54.25) as runner-up finisher Kim Busch just missed the mark with a 54.33.

Just a few events later, Steenbergen delivered the swim of the night in the 200 IM with a 2:09.16, dropping almost a full second off her own Dutch record from prelims this morning (2:09.99). Heemskerk previously owned the national record for nine years with a 2:10.21 from 2014.

Splits Comparison, Dutch 200 IM Records

*full splits were not available for Steenbergen’s previous Dutch record from prelims aside, but she was 1:03.17 at the midway point of the race

Before today, no Dutch woman had ever gone sub-2:10 in this event. Steenbergen just accomplished the feat twice in the span of about seven hours, in the process moving up to No. 4 in the world rankings this season.

Heading into this meet, Steenbergen’s lifetime best in the 200 IM was a 2:10.60 from last year’s World Championships, where she missed the A-final by about half a second. Her time in Eindhoven tonight would have placed her fourth in last year’s A-final at Worlds.

Steenberg finished nearly four seconds under the Worlds ‘A’ cut of 2:12.98 and over six seconds ahead of runner-up finisher Kathrin Demler (2:15.44).

On Friday, Steenbergen took out the 400 IM national record during prelims with a 4:44.28, but was absent from the final.

The only other automatic Worlds qualifiers on Day 3 punched their tickets to Fukuoka during a fun battle in the 100 back.

26-year-old Euros medalist Maiike de Waard (59.65) edged 28-year-old Dutch record holder Kira Toussaint (59.88), with both women reaching the wall under the Worlds ‘A’ cut of 1:00.59. They were slightly off their lifetime bests, with de Waard having gone 59.62 last April and Toussaint having blazed her national-record 58.65 at the Eindhoven meet in 2021.

Other Day 3 Event Winners

• 20-year-old Dutch swimmer Sean Niewold triumphed in the men’s 100 free with a 49.24, shaving .05 seconds off his personal best from last December. He’s still more than half a second away from the Worlds ‘A’ cut of 48.51.
• Germany’s Cornelius Jahn (born 2003) won the men’s 100 back in 54.41, posting a big drop off his previous-best 55.13 from last July. He’s now less than half a second shy of the Worlds ‘A’ cut (54.03).
• Portugal’s Gabriel Jose Lopes claimed victory in the men’s 200 IM with a 1:59.71, coming within a couple tenths of the Worlds ‘A’ cut (1:59.53). The 25-year-old’s personal best in the event is a 1:58.34 from last year’s European Championships, which scared the Portuguese national record (Alexis Santos’ 1:58.19 from 2019).