Italy’s Margherita Panziera took the race out hard and did not let anyone close the gap down the stretch, and that paid off with a European title in the women’s 200 back. Panziera touched in 2:06.18, breaking the championship record of 2:06.62 set by Krisztina Egerszegi all the way back in 1991 — a full four years before Panziera was born.
The Italian, three dyas shy of her 23rd birthday, won by almost a second as Russia’s Daria Ustinova took the silver in 2:07.12. Hungary’s Katalin Burian picked up bronze with her time of 2:07.43.
Germany’s Lisa Graf finished a comfortable fourth in 2:08.58, and well back was the rest of the pack: Russia’s Anastasiia Avdeeva (2:10.03), Germany’s Jenny Mensing (2:10.77), Ukraine’s Daryna Zevina (2:10.89) and Spain’s Africa Zamorano Sanz (2:11.55).
