With several European national championships – most of them also trials for World Championships in Kazan – around the corner or just finished, the Swim Cup Eindhoven is a perfect stage for a form test. National team members and club swimmers from many European nations are competing in Eindhoven, Netherlands, from April 2nd to April 5th.
In the star stacked field, Sebastiaan Verschuren sent some fast greetings to Australia’s James Magnusson with a 48,36 in the semifinal 100 free – 0,03 seconds off Magnusson’s fastest time in 2015. Velimir Stjepanovic (Serbia) finished second in the Semis with his time of 49,21- he is the 2014 European Champion in the 200 and 400 freestyle and he swims for Hamilton Aquatics Dubai in Eindhoven.
Long distance swimmer Peter Bernek (Budapest, Hungary) took the 800 free with a new meet record of 7:50,42 and this also is the fastest time this year so far. Addionally his team mate Boglarka Kapas won the womens 800 free with a world top ten swim, also meet record, in 8:30,40.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo battled her dutch teammate Femke Heemskerk in the 50 free – and they both now rank 3rd and 4th behind the Campbell sisters with a 24,35 for Ranomi and a 24,57 for Femke in todays finals.
Another Hungarian is back on the international swim stage – Zsuzsanna Jakabos made her comeback with a winning time of 2:11,32 in the 200 IM – this time ranks her 4th in the world.
Four top twenty swims took place in the men’s 50 fly – they were led by Laszlo Cseh, who touched in a time of 23,50 for the win, with Mathys Goosen (23,76), Joeri Verlinden (23,88) and Ivan Lendjer (23,99) adding three more swims under 24 seconds.
Tomorrow Sweden’s Sarah Sjöstrom will compete in the 200 free, and Sebastiaan Verschuren will try to set a new Worlds best in the 100 free in front of his dutch home audience. And in the spotlight on Friday: the World record holder and 2012 Olympic Champion in the 100 breaststroke Cameron van der Burgh will join the action in Eindhoven.
Will we have a Rússian and italian trials?
Italian, yes, mid-April
Verschuren was 48.25 in the prelim
All of these fast swimming all over the world is hard to keep track of. Thank you for updating!
By the end of next week the world ranking will look totally different.