2018 European Championships Day 1 Prelims: Sarah Sjostrom Takes Two Top Seeds

Sarah Sjostrom. Photo courtesy: SIPA USA

The European Championships begin with Friday morning prelims in Glasgow, Scotland.

Top athletes from several countries are battling for continental supremacy.

Here is what happened on the first day of prelims:

Women’s 400 IM

With Katinka Hosszu not competing in this event this year, Fanzine Lesaffre of France took the top seed in 4:36.16.

Britain’s Aimee Willmott was second in 4:38.28, followed by Ilaria Cusimato of Italy (4:39.02) and Hungary’s Zsuzsanna Jakobos (4:39.26).

Men’s 400 Free

Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk cruised to the top seed in the 400 free, finishing in 3:46.95.

Germany’s Paul Zeilmann took the second seed (3:47.14), followed by compatriot Henning Muhlleitner (3:47.29) and Austria’s Felix Aubock (3:48.01).

Women’s 50 Free

No surprise in the women’s 50 free as Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom took the top spot in the event at 24.14.

Denmark’s Pernille Blume was second at 24.27, followed by Russia’s Maria Kameneva (24.39), Tamara Van Vliet of the Netherlands (24.77) and compatriots Ranomi Kromowidjojo (24.82) and Kim Busch (24..93).

Should make for an exciting final.

Men’s 50 Back

Ireland’s Shane Ryan surged to the top seed in the 50 back at 24.32.

Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov took the second spot at 24.58, followed by Romania’s Robert-Andrei Glinta (24.59) and Russia’s Vladimir Morozov (24.65).

Women’s 100 Fly

Sarah Sjostrom made it 2-for-2 with top seeds by taking the top spot in the 100 butterfly. She finished in 56.87.

Italy’s Elena Di Liddo took the second seed at 57.91, followed by compatriot Ilaria Bianchi (57.92). Russia’s Svetlana Chimrova was fifth (38.24), followed by France’s Marie Wattel (58.47) and Sweden’s Louise Hansson (58.52).

Men’s 100 Breast

Britain had a 1-2-3 sweep of the top seeds in the 100 breast, though because of meet rules, only two from each country can advance.

Adam Peaty took the top spot in 57.89, followed by James Wilby (59.12). Ross Murdoch finished in 59.14 but won’t advance.

Russia’s Anton Chupkov was fourth (59.15), followed by Arno Kamminga of the Netherlands (59.53).

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay

The favored Netherlands team took the top spot in 3:38.30 despite not even using Kromowidjojo in the prelims. Femke Heemskerk anchored in 52.78.

Italy was second (3:38.64), followed by France (3:39.13), Russia (3:39.48) and Switzerland (3:40.00).

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay

Italy hung on to take the top seed in the 4×100 free relay thanks to a 48.88 start by Luca Dotto. The Italians finished in 3:15.29, holding off Poland (3:15.45), Hungary (3:15.55), Russia (3:15.77) and Serbia (3:15.90).

Women’s 800 Free

Italy’s Simona Quadrille took the top spot in the 800 free finishing in 8:23.93.

She was four seconds faster than second-seed Ajna Kesely of Hungary, who finished in 8:27.96, one hundredth ahead of Russia’s Anna Egorova (8>29.27).

Germany’s Sarah Kohler was fourth (8:31.96).

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Thomas A. Small

5 years ago

Congratulations