Femke Heemskerk Cruises Home to Top Seed in Women’s 200 Free

Photo Courtesy: Joao Marc Bosch

Neither Federica Pellegrini, the world record-holder and World Champion, nor Sarah Sjostrom, the Olympic silver medalist, chose to compete in the 200 free at the European Championships this year, so in their absence, the Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk appears to be the favorite for the title.

Even though she shut off the gas with 10 meters to go and cruised into the wall, Heemskerk put up a time of 1:57.64, almost a half-second ahead of France’s Charlotte Bonnet (1:58.12). A pair of Russians, Anastasia Guzhenkova (1:58.18) and Valeriia Salamatina (1:58.37), took third and fourth, respectively.

Also making the final were Great Britain’s Holly Hibbott (1:58.46), Spain’s Melania Costa Schmid (1:58.53), Great Britain’s Eleanor Faulkner (1:58.71) and Germany’s Isabel Marie Gose (1:58.76).

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