2025 OPEN BELGIAN SC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Friday, November 7th – Sunday, November 9th
- Ghent, Belgium
- SCM (25m)
- Meet Central
- Live Results
The 2025 Open Belgian Short Course Championships kicked off tonight from Ghent and swimmers wasted no time wreaking havoc on the record book to open their campaigns.
Right off the bat, 20-year-old Roos Vanotterdijk made her presence known in the women’s 200m breaststroke, firing off a time of 2:18.07 to establish a new national record.
She obliterated the field, with the next-closest swimmer represented by Zinke Delcommune who hit 2:27.94 followed by Siel Verstrepen who touched in 2:32.71.
Vanotterdijk’s result this evening overtook the former Belgian benchmark of 2:18.49 Fanny Lecluyse put in on the books nearly 10 years ago.
Vanotterdijk split 30.88/34.76/35.57/36.86 to get the job done, ripping her previous personal best of 2:37.16 from 2019 to shreds.
She now ranks 4th in the world on the season.
2025-2026 SCM Women 200 BREAST
DOUGLASS
2:13.45
| 2 | Evgenia Chikunova | RUS | 2:17.35 | 11/10 |
| 3 | Anna ELENDT | GER | 2:17.80 | 10/10 |
| 4 | Alex WALSH | USA | 2:17.88 | 10/23 |
| 5 | Roos VANOTTERDIJK | BEL | 2:18.07 | 11/07 |
Vanotterdijk had a breakthrough World Championships this year in Singapore, capturing 100m fly silver and 50m fly bronze for Belgium.
Newly minted world record holder Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands crushed a head-turning time of 55.59 en route to winning the men’s 100m breaststroke.
Opening in 26.13 and closing in 29.46, former University of Texas Corbeau cleared the field by nearly 5 seconds.
Noah De Schryver snagged the silver in 59.00 and Loek Huyghelier bagged the bronze in 59.85.
Corbeau’s effort was just .04 shy of his monster 55.55 Dutch national record he established at the Toronto stop of this year’s World Aquatics Swimming World Cup.
That represented one of three national records he would overtake during the World Cup, posting a new world record of 1:59.52 in the 200m breast and 25.52 in the 50m breast.
Finally, 23-year-old Florine Gaspard got it done for gold in the women’s 50m free, posting a new Belgian national record of 23.80.
Vanotterdijk had to settle for silver in 24.14 and Marie Sageder of Austria finished in 3rd in 25.45.
Gaspard’s mark shaved .19 off the former national standard she logged last year in France.
It’s amazing how she’s always at the top or making headlines in everything she touches. Most versatile female swimmer in the world only second to Douglass.
I think you might be forgetting Summer McIntosh who is more versatile than Douglass.
LCM WR in 200/400 IM and 400 free, second all time in 200 fly / 800 free, and top 10 in the SCM 200 back. She’s elite over 3 distances and 3 strokes plus the best ever IMer.
I think the thing about Kate Douglass is her being so good at breaststroke and freestyle. I’d say that the majority of world class breaststrokers are nowhere near world class at any other individual stroke. (I can only think of Leon). That, to me, is what makes her so exceptional. I know a lot of good breaststrokers are also great at IM.
Being good at an unusual combination of events doesn’t make you the most versatile though. McIntosh is way better at her best events than Douglass, and she’s medal worthy in more of them. She’s literally won medals in 3 strokes + IM over 3 distances at world/Olympic level
Yes, I’m not disputing that Summer is the best. Though she’s not much of a sprinter, is she? As a former breaststroker (not at a very high level) who produced quite good breaststrokers too, I’m always impressed by those who can be excellent at breaststroke and also other strokes.
She’s pretty good. 53.90 flat start and 53.22 rolling. Probably gonna always be something like Phelps in the 400 free/200 back where we’ll never know how good she could be if she focused on it. I’m sure she’d have a 52 in her if she went all-in on 100/200 free training.
Yes, I’m sure you’re right.
The Faber Effect.
And now Vanotterdijk holds at least 1NR in all strokes and medley in SCM.
Noah Verreth also set a NR in the 50 back leading off the relay – 23.66