Federica Pellegrini, Mireia Belmonte Garcia Set Up Strong 400 Free Finals During Last Prelim Session

Photo Courtesy: br1dotcom

BERLIN, Germany, August 24. The final day of qualifying is in the books at the 2014 European Championships.

Scheduled Events

Women’s 400 free
Men’s 400 IM
Women’s 400 medley relay
Men’s 400 medley relay

LIVE STREAM

LIVE RESULTS

Women’s 400 free

Photo Courtesy: br1dotcom

A trio of swimmers all turned in 4:07s this morning to get qualifying off on the right foot. Women’s 200 free victory Federica Pellegrini, the European record holder with a former world-record 3:59.15 from 2009, topped the heats with a 4:07.09 this morning. She’s already ranked sixth this year with a 4:04.56 from the Italian Spring Nationals, and will need that type of speed to handle the likes of Mireia Belmonte Garcia.

Belmonte Garcia, the second-fastest swimmer in the world this year with a 4:03.84 from Spanish Nationals, took second this morning in 4:07.12 in the same heat as Pellegrini, and should turn it up a notch in finals. Sharon Rouwendaal posted a Netherlands record with a 4:07.59 for third in the heats.

Great Britain’s Jazz Carlin (4:08.17), Hungary’s Boglarka Kapas (4:09.17), Spains’ Melanie Costa Schmid (4:09.59), Denmark’s Lotte Friis (4:09.75) and Italy’s Diletta Carli (4:09.84) all broke 4:10 to make the finale. The Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu decided to scratch the event.

Comparative Splits:

Pellegrini – 4:07.09

28.97 (1) 1:00.24 (1)
31.27 1:31.87 (1)
31.63 2:03.75 (1)
31.88 2:35.11 (1)
31.36 3:06.62 (1)
31.51 3:37.41 (1)
30.79 4:07.09
29.68

Belmonte Garcia – 4:07.12

29.12 (4) 1:00.78 (4)
31.66 1:32.49 (4)
31.71 2:04.27 (4)
31.78 2:35.56 (3)
31.29 3:06.98 (2)
31.42 3:37.78 (2)
30.80 4:07.12
29.34

Rouwendaal – 4:07.59

29.47 (6) 1:00.69 (6)
31.22 1:32.28 (5)
31.59 2:03.88 (5)
31.60 2:35.39 (5)
31.51 3:06.84 (2)
31.45 3:37.39 (1)
30.55 4:07.59
30.20

Men’s 400 IM

Photo Courtesy: Greg Bertram – USA Today Sports

With everyone saving up for finals, Hungary’s David Verraszto put up the top time this morning in the distance medley with a 4:16.78. He has already been a 13th-ranked 4:14.35 this year at the Barcelona stop of the Mare Nostrum, and should do some damage tonight.

Great Britain’s Roberto Pavoni (4:17.32), Germany’s Yannick Lebherz (4:17.94) and Italy’s Federico Turrini (4:17.94) all cleared 4:18 as well. Pavoni is the top ranked finalist with an eighth-ranked 4:12.24, while Lebherz (16th, 4:14.84) and Turrini (14th, 4:14.58) are both among the tail end of the top 15 as well.

Germany’s Jacob Heidtmann (4:18.75), Portugal’s Alexis Manacas Santos (4:19.11), Great Britain’s Max Litchfield (4:19.23) and Slovakia’s Richard Nagy (4:19.27) rounded out the championship heat.

Verraszto’s Splits:

27.83 (8) 59.64 (9)
31.81 1:31.75 (2)
32.11 2:04.86 (2)
33.11 2:39.67 (1)
34.81 3:16.15 (1)
36.48 3:47.41 (1)
31.26 4:16.78
29.37

Women’s 400 medley relay

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

There is a high likelihood that Denmark’s Mie Nielsen, Rikke Moeller Pedersen, Jeanette Ottesen and Pernille Blume will clear Germany’s meet record of 3:58.43 from 2012 after Denmark put up a 3:59.82 in heats this morning to qualify first overall. The foursome may even give Germany’s European record of 3:55.79 from 2090 a run for its money.

Denmark’s Splits (3:59.82):

NIELSEN Mie Oe. – 1:00.43
PEDERSEN Rikke Moeller – 1:06.37
OTTESEN Jeanette – 59.10
BLUME Pernille – 53.92

The Netherlands’ Wendy van den Zanden (1:02.89), Moniek Nijhuis (1:07.51), Inge Dekker (57.40) and Femke Heemskerk (53.48) took second in 4:01.28 with Sweden’s Ida Lindborg (1:01.31), Jennie Johansson (1:06.89), Louise Hansson (1:00.09) and Michelle Coleman (53.54) taking third in 4:01.83. Sweden should get much faster with the addition of Sarah Sjostrom to the group during finals.

Great Britain (4:03.03), Italy (4:03.65), Ukraine (4:04.11), Spain (4:04.23) and Russia (4:04.54) also earned transfer spots into the finale.

Men’s 400 medley relay

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

If this morning is any indication, France and Hungary could be in for a barn-burner during finals tonight. France’s Ben Stasiulis, Giacomo Perez-Dortona, Mehdy Metella and Gregory Mallet touched out Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh, Daniel Gyurta, Bence Pulai and Dominik Kozma, 3:34.65 to 3:34.89, in the second heat of qualifying as the to led both heats of prelims this morning. The big question is whether there’s enough wiggle room for improvement to challenge France’s meet record of 3:31.32 from 2010.

France’s Splits (3:34.65):

STASIULIS Benjamin – 55.00
PEREZ-DORTONA Giacomo – 59.35
METELLA Mehdy – 51.47
MALLET Gregory – 48.83

Hungary’s Splits (3:34.89):

CSEH Laszlo – 54.28
GYURTA Daniel – 59.59
PULAI Bence – 52.67
KOZMA Dominik – 48.35

Germany’s Christian Diener, Marco Koch, Steffen Deibler and Markus Deibler took third in 3:36.43, while Great Britain (3:36.82), Russia (3:37.44), Poland (3:37.87), Lithuania (3:38.53) and The Netherlands (3:39.20) rounded out the championship equation.

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