European Championships, Day 7 Heats: Verraszto Eyes Fourth 400IM Gold; Toussaint Back In The Pool

David Verraszto: Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL

David Verraszto headed the 400IM as he began his bid for a fourth straight title at the European Championships.

The Hungarian has been on the podium at each edition since taking silver in Budapest in 2010, a feat he matched two years later in Debrecen and in the three subsequent championships Verraszto has won gold.

Simona Quadarella has already won the 800 and 1500 free and she progressed to Sunday’s 400 final as she seeks to repeat her clean sweep from Glasgow.

Kira Toussaint returned to the pool for the first time since the agony of the 100 back re-swim on Friday night where she finished fourth after a silver medal in the first race.

Read Toussaint’s response to the events of Friday evening here.

The 50 back champion led off the Netherlands women’s 4×100 medley relay off in 59.51 in the final heat of the championships with 100 free champion Femke Heemskerk going 53.07 to anchor the quartet in 3:58.07.

Defending champions and European record-holders Great Britain led the men’s race with Adam Peaty going for his fourth gold of the meet in Sunday’s final.

Britain lead the medal table going into the final session with nine golds among 20 medals ahead of Russia with eight titles in an overall haul of 17.

Men’s 400IM

Verraszto was in the final heat sandwiched between Max Litchfield and Joan Pons Ramon, the 2018 silver and bronze medallists.

He booked lane four in 4:13.39 alongside fellow Hungarian Peter Bernek with Litchfield and Pons Ramon also through with world junior record holder Ilya Borodin of Russia.

HUN

VERRASZTO David

4:13.39

HUN

BERNEK Peter

4:13.83

GBR

LITCHFIELD Max

4:13.87

ESP

PONS RAMON Joan Lluis

4:14.16

ITA

RAZZETTI Alberto

4:14.57

RUS

BORODIN Ilya

4:14.64

ITA

MATTEAZZI Pier Andrea

4:14.70

RUS

STUPIN Maxim

4:15.58

POR

LOPES Jose Paulo

4:17.22

NED

KNIPPING Arjan

4:17.47

Women’s 400 Free

Anna Egorova, who won bronze over 800m, booked top spot in 4:08.87 with 200 fly champion Boglarka Kapas (4:09.02), Quadarella (4:09.04) and 2018 silver medallist Ajna Kesely (4:09.14) also safely through.

RUS

EGOROVA Anna

4:08.87

HUN

KAPAS Boglarka

4:09.02

ITA

QUADARELLA Simona

4:09.04

HUN

KESELY Ajna

4:09.14

TUR

TUNCEL Merve

4:09.37

TUR

BOECEKLER Beril

4:09.53

GBR

HIBBOTT Holly

4:10.11

LIE

HASSLER Julia

4:10.74

DEN

BACH Helena Rosendahl

4:11.79

GBR

WILLMOTT Aimee

4:12.76

Men’s 4×100 Medley Relay

Britain are the current world champions after Duncan Scott unleashed the second-fastest freestyle split in history of 46.14 to overhaul the United States’ Nathan Adrian in the final metres in Gwangju, setting a European record of 3:28.10 en-route.

The quartet of Joe Litchfield, James Wilby, Scott and Tom Dean booked lane four in 3:32.48 ahead of France – featuring a lead-off of 52.96 by Yohann Ndoye Brouard – in 3:32.50 and Italy (3:33.47).

Also through were Poland (3:34.53), Ireland – with a national record of 3:34.62 – Russia (3:34.72), Belarus (3:34.87) and Germany (3:35.00).

Lithuania, led off by Danys Rapsys, and Hungary are first reserves.

Women’s 4×100 Medley Relay

The Netherlands led the way ahead of defending champions Russia (3:58.78) and Sweden – with sisters Louise and Sophie Hansson – who clocked 3:59.36.

Also through were Italy (4:00.26), Britain – with Freya Anderson having already anchored five relays to gold in Budapest – (4:00.39), Finland (4:01.66), Belarus (4:01.92) and Denmark (4:01.97).

Spain and France are reserves.

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