After three days of racing at the Antwerp 2012 European Swimming Championships, Russia is still clearly in the lead with 8 gold medals, 3 silver and 1 bronze, ahead of Italy’s 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze, and Germany’s 3 gold, 7 silver and 4 bronze. Most winning swimmer(s) is now Russias relay teams with 2 gold and 1 bronze, the individuals still Italys Gabriele Detti and Russia’s Iuliia Larina with 2 gold medals each.
(Mie at the Stockholm 2010 World Cup)
Boys 200 butterfly
Great Britain’s Matthew Johnson took the gold in 1:58.50 ahead of Russia’s Andrey Tambovskiy in 1:59.25 and Germany’s Tobias Zajusch in 1:59.78. A nice sweep from behind by the youngster aged one year younger than the favorites, Johnson ranked 4th on the entry list with a time of 1:59.2, 4th in the prelims with a time of 2:01.64 and 4th in the semifinal with a time of 2:00.62.
Girls 200 breaststroke
Great Britain’s Mollow Renshaw took the gold in 2:27.66 ahead of Hungary’s Anna Sztankovics in 2:28.63 and Great Britain’s Sophie Taylor in 2:29.55, Renshaw the favorite all the way through with an entry time of 2:26.81, prelims leading time of 2:29.51 and semifinals best time of 2:28.59. Hopefully encouragement for the talented Brit who missed out on the Olympics.
Boys 100 freestyle
Germany’s Maximilian Oswald added the 100 freestyle gold to his 50 butterfly bronze medal, clocking the only sub-50 time 49.68 and 841 FINA points ahead of Russia’s Stepan Surkov in 50.27 (812 FINA points) and Sweden’s Oscar Ekstroem in 50.35 (808 FINA points). Oswald the favorite all the way through with an entry time of 50.68, prelim time of 50.61 and semifinal time of 50.21. Ekstroem the first Nordic swimmer to win a medal at these championships.
Boys 200 IM
Spain’s Albert Puig Garrich took the gold in 2:00.95 ahead of Greece’s Andreas Vazaios in 2:01.73 and Germany’s Phillipp Forster in 2:01.94. Puig Garrich the dominating favorite with a time of 2:01.39 on the entry list, 2:02.03 and first in the prelims and 2:01.92 and first in the semifinal.
Girls 50 backstroke
Denmark’s Mie Østergaard Nielsen scorched the 50 backstroke in a new championships record of 28.51 ahead of Germany’s Anna-Stephanie Dietterle in 28.73 and Great Britain’s Jessica Fullalove in 28.99, Mie just flown in from the Danish pre-Olympic training camp in Croatia, still in full training between European Junior events, erasing Great Britain’s Lauren Quigley’s championships record of 28.76 from Belgrade 2011, and Louise Ørnstedts Danish and Nordic (senior) record of 28.63 from 2003. First gold medal for Denmark and the Nordic countries at these championships.
Boys 50 breaststroke
Russia’s Oleg Utekhin took the gold in astonishing 27.57 and 905 FINA points ahead of Great Britain’s Russ Murdoch in 28:09 (855 FINA points) and Sweden’s Johannes Skagius in 28.41 (827 FINA points). Utekhin the favorite with an entry time of 28.01, 2nd ranked prelim time of 28.09 behind Ross Murdoch in 28.08 and then best time in the semifinals of 28.00.
Girls 1500 freestyle
Germany’s Leonie Antonia Beck took the gold in 16.29.12 and 865 FINA points ahead of compatriot Lena-Sophie Bermel in 16.32.67 (856 FINA points) and Spain’s Maria Vilas Vidal in 16:37.25. Vilas Vidal the favorite with an entry time of 16:27.75, for some reason fading while 4th ranked and 1 year younger Beck with an entry time of 16:41.69 came through.
Boys 4×200 freestyle
Italy’s boys demolished the field with a new championships record of 7:19.56, old one Great Britain’s 7:19.98 from Belgrade 2008, ahead of Germany in 7:23.19 and Russia in 7:23.79. This coming from behind with a prelim time of 7:28.98 behind Russia in 7:27.80, Poland in 7:27.84 and Germany in 7:28.35.
All results from Antwerp 2012 can be seen here.
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