Arno Kamminga On Record-Breaking Form As He Books Tokyo Slot At Amsterdam Cup

Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Arno Kamminga set new Dutch records in the 50m and 100m breaststroke as swimmers booked their place on the Netherlands team for Tokyo 2020 and the European Championships at the Amsterdam Cup over the weekend.

Kamminga has enjoyed a fruitful few days as he followed three trips to the podium at the European Short-Course Championships in Glasgow – one to the top step over 200m – with a clean sweep of the breaststroke events in the Netherlands capital.

The 24-year-old opened his programme with victory in the 200m in 2mins 08.02secs before setting new national records in the 100m of 58.65 and 50m (26.90).

It means Kamminga holds all the Dutch breaststroke records following his 200m effort of 2:07.96 at the World Cup in October and guaranteed he will be on the blocks at the European Championships in Budapest, Hungary, in May and in Tokyo in July.

He said: “Here in the Sloterparkbad (Kamminga’s home pool) I know every tile. I have gained a lot of confidence in Glasgow.

“At World Cups, not everything was great and not all the top players are present. In Scotland it was different of course.”

His coach Mark Faber added: “To be honest, it doesn’t surprise me. He enters here as a European champion and has simply taken his good form and confidence with him.”

Kira Toussaint – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer

Kira Toussaint, who won five medals of which three were gold in Glasgow, qualified for Tokyo in the 100m backstroke heats before lowering her time to 59.40 for gold in the final.

She said: “It really had to happen now. I wanted to reach the standard. And now it has even arrived twice. Because it is the Olympic Games, that gives extra pressure.”

Toussaint also booked her spot at the Europeans in the 50m back, along with Maaike de Waard although she scratched from the final with a cold.

Femke Heemskerk enjoyed victory by 0.60secs in the 100m freestyle over Ranomi Kromowidjojo in 53.23, within the Olympic selection time, with the places reserved in the 50 free, the latter’s 24.46 inside the time for Tokyo.

Kromowidjojo also booked her spot in the 50 fly in Budapest (25.57) with Joeri Verlinden doing the same in the men’s equivalent (23.59).

Arjan Knipping had already qualified for Tokyo thanks to his eighth place in the 400IM at the World Championships in Gwangju in July although his time of 4:15.02 earned him a trip to Budapest.

Ties Elzerman (50 breast), Verlinden (100 fly), Thom de Boer and Kenzo Simons (50 free) all booked a spot at the Europeans.

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