Kira Toussaint continued her scorching form of recent weeks with a Dutch record of 58.91 in the 100m backstroke as the Rotterdam Qualification Meet concluded.
Toussaint set a world short-course record of 25.60 in the 50 back while representing London Roar at the ISL which wrapped up last month.
The five-time European short-course champion then translated that form to the 50m pool, setting a national mark of 27.37 in the one-length race.
With the finals to be held in the morning come Tokyo eight months hence, Toussaint showed she can race fast in the Sunday prelims.
Photo Courtesy: Mine Kasapoglu / ISL
Out in 29.01 and back in 29.90, the 26-year-old obliterated her PB of 59.14 to stop the clock at a time that matched that which earned Olivia Smoliga bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju.
She told KNZB:
“I am very happy with this time. It is starting to look like something. For a podium place in Tokyo you have to swim below 59.”
A key element of her race plan was not to expend too much energy on the first 50.
“I succeeded, because in the second 50 meters I swam under 30 seconds.”
Toussaint returned in the afternoon to win the final in 59.03 to wrap up a highly-successful meet.
Bernhard Reitshammer of Austria won the men’s race in 54.70 and Liesette Bruinsma set a national record of 1:22.91 in the S11 100 backstroke.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo: Photo Courtesy: MIKE LEWIS / ISL
Ranomi Kromowidjojo had a clear win in the 50 fly in 25.32 with Marcus J Schlesinger of Israel taking the men’s title in 23.85.
Valentine Dumont won the 400fr in 4:13.61 with Nils Liess taking the men’s title in 3:54.26.
Maria Ugolkova took the women’s 200IM in 2:13.10 after making up a deficit of 0.45 at 150 on Lea Polonsky.
Lea’s brother Ron Polonsky won the men’s race in 1:59.67 holding off the final-50 charge from Noe Ponti, the Swiss swimmer 0.05secs behind in 1:59.72.
A Belgian quartet stopped the clock at 3:46.56 in the women’s 4×100 free with KNZB 1 squad taking the men’s race in 3:15.54.
Advertising: Shop At Swim360
Gelukwensen!