Three of Europe’s Paris 2024 women’s medallists will return to global competition this week at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) which start in Budapest tomorrow.
France’s Anastasiya Kirpichnikova, the Olympic 1500m freestyle silver medallist, Isabel Marie Gose of Germany, who took bronze behind her, and Dutch swimmer Tes Schouten, who finished third in the 200m breaststroke, will be among the world class athletes in action until Sunday, December 15.
Schouten also holds the world title in the 200m breaststroke, and two other of Europe’s world champions will be competing at the Duna Arena in Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, who won 50m breaststroke gold in Doha in February, and Italy’s Simona Quadarella, who won the world 800m and 1500m freestyle double.
Kirpichnikova showed her 25m credentials last year in earning 400m freestyle silver and 800m freestyle gold at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania.
Also in contention for honours will be her team-mate Beryl Gastaldello, who won 100m freestyle gold and silver in the 50m freestyle and 100m medley at the European Short Course event.
Quadarella was twice on the individual podium in Otopeni as she won 400m freestyle gold and 800m freestyle silver.
Gose left the 2024 World Championships in Doha with three individual medals – silver in the 800m freestyle and bronze in the 400m freestyle and 1500m freestyle.
Hosts Hungary are fielding the second largest women’s team of 16 athletes – two fewer than China.
Among those who will be most closely followed by the home fans will be Ajna Kesely. the European 400m and 800m freestyle champion.
Kesely underlined her credentials in the 25m pool last year as she earned bronze in the 800m and 1500m freestyle at the European Short Course Swimming Championships in Otopeni, Romania.
There will be high hopes too for Petra Senansky, the European 50m freestyle champion.
Other European medallists in action for Hungary include 1500m champion Vivien Jackl, Dora Molnar and Lilla Minna Abraham, respective silver medallists in the 200m backstroke and 200m freestyle, Nikolett Padar, who won 100m freestyle bronze, and 200m backstroke bronze medallist Eszeter Szabo-Feltothy.
Hungary will also seek to make a medal impact in the 4x100m freestyle relay, in which they won European gold, the 4x200m freestyle relay and the 4x100m medley, in both of which disciplines they won silver.
Italy have the second largest European women’s contingent at these Championships, numbering 12. Apart from Quadarella, who also won 400m freestyle gold and 800m freestyle silver in Otopeni, the Italians will call upon world 50m breaststroke bronze medallist Benedetta Pilato.
Sweden and Slovakia are the next largest European women’s contingents, each naming eight for the Championships.
Among the Swedish challengers will be three swimmers who made the podium at last year’s European Short Course Championships – European 50m butterfly champion Sara Junevik, who won 50m butterfly bronze, Louise Hansson, who won 100m butterfly gold, and Olivia Klint Ipsa, who won European bronze in the 50m and 100m breaststroke.
Britain’s Freya Anderson will have happy memories of the arena that staged the 2020 European Aquatics Championships – held in 2021 due to the pandemic – where she won five relay golds and individual 200m freestyle bronze.
Anderson underlined her credentials in the 25m pool by winning 200m freestyle gold and 100m freestyle bronze at last year’s European Short Course Swimming Championships in the Romanian city of Otopeni.
Also seeking further success in Budapest will be Anderson’s team-mate Abbie Wood, who won 200m and 400m individual medley gold in Romania.
Other notable presences in Budapest include Denmark’s Helena Rosendahl Bach, the world silver medallist and European champion in the 200m butterfly, Estonia’s Eneli Jefimova, the European 100m backstroke gold medallist, Greece’s Theodora Drakou, who won European silver in the 50m freestyle and 50m backstroke, and the Czech Republic’s Barbora Janickov, who won European 100m freestyle silver.
Action gets underway at 9am CET each day from Tuesday through to Sunday, and can be watched on the Eurovision Sport website.
