Adam Peaty, Sarah Sjostrom Post Quick January Times at Luxembourg Euro Meet

Photo Courtesy: gianmattiadalberto/lapresse

At this weekend’s Euro Meet in Luxembourg, several of the top competitors in Europe began their seasons with multiple event victories. Great Britain’s Adam Peaty posted a pair of stunning swims in the sprint breaststroke events, while Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won five events and Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu six over the weekend.

Peaty opened his meet with a 27.11 in the 50 breast Saturday, just short of his meet record-time of 27.04 but plenty good enough to win. A day later, he blasted a 58.94 to win the 100 breast, beating the runner-up, Germany’s Marco Koch, by more than two seconds. The time was a meet record, a mark which had belonged to Koch at 1:00.45 entering the day.

Only three men (Cameron van der Burgh, Cody Miller and Yasuhiro Koseki) swam faster than Peaty’s Luxembourg time all of last year, and Peaty’s world record of 57.13 is more than a second faster than any other man in history.

Sjostrom won a trio of 50-meter races Saturday, posting 25.02 to dominate the 50 fly before winning the 50 free in 24.01. Sjostrom did not make the final in the 50 free in Rio, but that time is six one-hundredths faster than Pernille Blume’s Olympic gold medal-winning time from Rio. Sjostrom then finished the 50 back in 28.66 to add another win.

Sjostrom returned Saturday to blast a 57.12 to win the 100 fly. That beat her previous meet record of 58.11 from prelims, which beat Ilaria Bianchi‘s record of 58.59 from last year. Later in the session, she put up another meet record in the 100 free with a time of 53.21.

Hosszu opened up her push towards a home World Championships this summer in Budapest with wins in the women’s 400 IM (4:35.46) and 800 free (8:40.74) on Friday. On Saturday, she added top finishes in the 200 free (1:57.75) and 100 back (1:00.90) before setting a meet record in the 200 IM with a time of 2:10.46.

On Sunday, Hosszu won the 400 free (4:10.00) but fell to Germany’s Jenny Mensing in the 200 back, 2:11.13 to 2:13.95.

Great Britain’s Molly Renshaw, coming off a Short Course World title in the women’s 200 breast, won the long course version of that event Saturday in 2:25.32. In the men’s equivalent event, the reigning long course World Champion finished first as Koch posted a time of 2:10.75.

Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh picked up a win in the men’s 200 fly in 1:59.03, just ahead of Great Britain’s Duncan Scott (1:59.33). Cseh also won a tight one in the 100 fly, edging France’s Mehdy Metella, 52.69 to 52.78.

Scott also finished first in the men’s 200 free in 1:47.94 and then later in the meet won the 100 free in 48.75.

Ukraine’s Mykhalio Romanchuk won the men’s 1500 free in a strong time of 14:55.18 on Friday, and he returned to the pool Saturday to win the 400 free in 3:49.42. Also in Friday’s session, Great Britain’s Max Litchfield took first in the 400 IM in 4:16.65.

Greece’s Apostolos Christou set a meet record of 54.00 to dominate the men’s 100 back on Saturday, and he added a victory in the 50 back (25.20) later in the session. Switzerland’s Jeremy Desplanches was the only man under 2:00 in the 200 IM, finishing in a time of 1:59.78. Great Britain’s Ben Proud won both the 50 fly (23.35) and 50 free (22.08).

Switzerland’s Martina Van Berkel dominated the women’s 200 fly, finishing in a time of 2:11.98. Great Britain’s Sarah Vasey won the 50 breast in 30.93 and then added a win in the 100 breast, clocking 1:07.32.

In the meet’s final event, Italy’s Christopher Ciccarese edged out Great Britain’s Luke Greenbank for the win in the men’s 200 back, 1:59.63 to 1:59.85. Ciccarese’s time is a new meet record.

Live results from the meet can be found by clicking here.

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7 years ago

I think that the only stunning thing that has happened at this meet was Sjostrom’s 24.01 @50 free that would win her the World and Olympian titles. Hosszu’s freestyle gold medals like 8:40 or 4:10 are not worth to mention.