France’s swimming icon Leon Marchand began his pursuit of individual honours in encouraging fashion at the European Aquatics Championships this morning.
Having dropped any breaststroke racing from his programme because of the hip adductor injury he is still carrying, the 24-year-old four-time Paris 2024 champion received predictably massive support in the Olympic Aquatic Arena as he won his men’s 200m butterfly heat in 1:55.90.
That made him fourth fastest qualifier for tonight’s semi-finals behind Italy’s Alberto Razzetti on 1:54,64, Spain’s Arbidel Gonzalez Alvarez on 1:55.07 and Krzysztof Chmielewski of Poland on 1:55.77.
Marchand has already demonstrated courage and accomplishment at these Championships by risking himself in the men’s 4x200m freestyle and helping to secure silver with a scorching opening split of 1:43.76.
Now he is testing himself once again in the event where he clocked an Olympic record of 1:52.21 to beat defending champion Kristof Milak in the French capital two years ago.
World record holder Milak, who competed heroically last night in earning golds in the men’s 100m butterfly and men’s 4x100m freestyle, is not contesting the men’s 200m butterfly here.
Sarah Sjostrom’s championship comeback continued in fine style this morning as she began her pursuit of a golden double.
The 32-year-old Swede, who returned to competition in April having taken 20 months off following her 50m and 100m freestyle wins at the Paris 2024 Olympics – during which time she became a mother – was second fastest qualifier for tonight’s women’s 50m freestyle semi-finals in 24.21.
The qualifiers were topped by 21-year-old Milou van Wijk, who clocked 24.13 in her heat, finishing ahead of Dutch team-mate Marrit Steenbergen.
Steenbergen, who clocked the fourth fastest time of 24.34 in the next door lane, was smiling broadly as both exited the pool.
But then she already has so much to smile about, having taking gold and silver in the women’s 100m freestyle and women’s 200m freestyle respectively, and relay gold and silver in the women’s 4x100m freestyle and mixed 4x100m freestyle respectively.
Entered for five individual events, Steenbergen’s quest goes on. She had to get a wriggle on in order to be ready for the next women’s swimming heats in the 100m backstroke…
Sara Curtis touched home first in her 50m freestyle heat – and for once it wasn’t a world record.
The 19-year-old Italian, who had won 50m backstroke gold the night before after breaking the world mark for a second successive time, moved through third fastest in the 50m freestyle in 24.33.
Steenbergen’s 100m backstroke heats went well. She produced the joint fastest time of 59.66, one that was shared – to the great satisfaction of another full house – by France’s Mary-Ambre Moluh, the women’s 50m backstroke silver medallist.
France’s women’s 200m backstroke bronze medallist Pauline Mahieu was also cheered to the echo as she registered the third fastest time of 1:00.25.
Italy’s world champion Simone Cerasuolo topped heats qualifying in the men’s 50m breaststroke in 26.20 ahead of his Italian team-mate Nicolo Martinenghi, winner of the men’s 100m breaststroke title here two years after claiming that honour in the Paris 2024 Games. Martinenghi clocked 26.65.
But there was disappointment for Great Britain’s multiple world and Olympic champion Adam Ramsay-Peaty, fifth in the men’s 100m breaststroke final, as he failed to progress, finishing 20th in 27.34.
Germany’s Paris 2024 10km open water swimming silver medallist Oliver Klemet and 19-year-old Johannes Liebmann, already men’s 800m freestyle champion here, topped qualifying for what promises to be a monumental men’s 1500m final tomorrow night in 14:48.51 and 14:50.83.
That meant their team-mate Sven Schwarz, the former European record holder in the 800m freestyle, could not progress despite finishing fifth in 14:52.16 due to the two nations rule.
The home crowd rose to Sacha Velly as he qualified third fastest in 14:51.49 ahead of Hungary’s world short course champion Zalan Sarkany on 14:52.94, with Ireland’s Paris 2024 1500m bronze medallist and 800m freestyle champion Daniel Wiffen sixth fastest on 14:52.29 followed by Hungary’s multiple open water medallist David Betlehem on 14:57.96.
Israel’s defending champion Anastasia Gorbenko was fastest into tomorrow’s women’s 200m individual medley final in 2:11.87 ahead of Ireland’s 400m IM gold medallist Ellen Walshe on 2:12.12 and Britons Abbie Wood on 2:12.23 and 16-year-old 400m IM silver medallist Amalie Smith on 2:12.45.
Czechia topped the qualifying for tonight’s mixed 4x100m freestyle final in 3:23.41 from The Netherlands on 3:23.94 and Italy on 3:23.96.
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Mike Rowbottom for European Aquatics
