Helena Rosendahl Bach Takes Down 200 Fly Meet Record in Luxembourg
Helena Rosendahl Bach downed the eight-year 200 fly championship record as the Euro Meet got underway in Luxembourg.
The 2024 world silver medallist led throughout to touch in 2:08.03, slicing 0.15 from the standard of 2:08.18 that stood to Franziska Hentke since 2018.
Emily Richards came through strongly on the second half of the race for second in 2:08.65 with Ciara Schlosshan third in 2:09.65.
Martine Damborg made it a women’s Danish fly double with a 26.44 victory in the 50 followed by Kornelia Fiedkiewicz (26.63) and Jeanne de Murcia (26.64).
John Shortt was in command of the men’s 100 back throughout with the Irishman stopping the clock in 54.48. It was the fourth-fastest time of the Irishman’s career with the 18-year-old’s PB standing at 53.80 in the semis at the 2025 world juniors where he’d go on to win the 100/200 double. Mathys Chouchaoui (55.09) and Noah Verreth (55.72) were second and third.
Amalie Smith: Photo Courtesy: Istvan Derencsenyi/European Aquatics
European junior champion Amalie Smith pulled away from Cyrelle Duhamel in the second half of the 400IM to claim a comprehensive victory. The British swimmer, who also won silver at the world juniors last year, stopped the clock at 4:40.70 with Duhamel well behind in 4:47.33. Noelle Benkler was third in 4:50.01.
Great Britain has a fine pedigree among female IM swimmers, spearheaded by Hannah Miley and Aimee Willmott while Freya Colbert won the 2024 world title in Doha. Smith finds herself rubbing shoulders with the trio with her 4:35.49 en-route to world junior silver last year catapulting her to fourth all-time among British women. She also won 200IM silver in Otopeni, Romania, which followed the medley double at the European juniors in July. She turns 17 on 24 August, eight days after the conclusion of the European Championships in Paris which come hot on the heels of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. It remains to be seen whether Britain will take a strong team to the French capital but some swimmers will be competing at both meets.
Max Litchfield made it a British IM double with victory in the men’s race in 4:21.04 ahead of Christian Mantegazza (4:21.91) and Emilien Mattenet (4:22.10). Filip Nowacki was fifth (4:29.71) with no breaststroke events contested on the opening day. Instead, the 50 and 200 will both take place on Saturday. The Briton – who won the world and European junior titles in the latter last year – is set to compete in both races in fields including the likes of Caspar Corbeau and Melvin Imoudu.
Grace Davison edged out Laura Bernat in a close women’s 100m backstroke race. The pair were neck and neck throughout with the Irishwoman always holding a slight advantage which she maintained into the wall in 1:02.55. Bernat was 0.05 behind in 1:02.60 with Lou-Anne Guiton third in 1:02.71 as the first three women were separated by 0.16.
Luca Armbruster won the men’s 50 fly in 23.43 ahead of Gabriel Shepherd (23.66) and Thomas Verhoeven (23.73).
Alessandro Ragaini took the men’s 200 fly title in 1:58.23 followed by Adrian Jaskiewicz (1:59.14) and Ihor Troianovskyi (1:59.18).
Sacha Velly, the double world junior open water champion, enjoyed a clear win in the men’s 1500 free in 15:07.76 and Giorgia Tononi headed the fastest heat of the women’s 800 free in 8:45.45.