Marrit Steenbergen Breaks 53 Seconds In 100 Free For Third Time In 2025 At Dutch Championships
Marrit Steenbergen made her third journey inside 53secs this year in the 100 free as six athletes qualified for Singapore worlds on day one of the Dutch Championships in Amersfoort.
Marrit Steenbergen: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Milou van Wijk booked lane four for the final with a 53.38 prelim and led at halfway in 25.64 to Steenbergen’s 25.75. However, the Doha world champion turned the tables down the second 50 where she split 27.03 to stop the clock in 52.78. It was her third voyage inside 53 this year following her 52.77 at last month’s AP Race International and 52.98 at the Giant Open in Paris and the sixth fastest of her career, topped by her 52.26 Dutch record en-route to gold in Doha.
She remains second in the rankings behind Torri Huske who set a US Open record of 52.43 at US Nationals earlier this month where she led home Gretchen Walsh (52.78) and Simone Manuel (52.83) as three women broke the 53-second barrier.
Van Wijk was second in 54.00 as she and Steenbergen booked a trip to next month’s World Championships with Tessa Giele third in 54.66.
Giele returned for the 50 fly in which she tied with Maaike de Waard as both women touched in 25.93. Britta Koehors was third in 27.06. Giele also booked a spot for Singapore.
Van Westering & De Groot Return After Prelims Records
Kai van Westering was one of two men who set national records in prelims as he downed the men’s 100 back mark that had stood since London 2012 in 53.51. He came back to the pool in the evening to take the title in 53.63 ahead of Hendrik van der Leest who stopped the clock almost two seconds adrift in 55.52.
Fresh from lowering the Dutch men’s 50m breaststroke record to 26.78 in prelims, Koen de Groot returned to take the title in 26.84 ahead of Caspar Corbeau who also went inside 27secs in 26.99. Jason van den Berg took third in 27.86.
Van Westering, De Groot and Corbeau all booked their tickets to Singapore.
Kai van Westering: Photo Courtesy: KNZB
Tiago Fonseca Gomes edged Sander Crooijmans by 0.03 in a thrilling 400 free in which the pair traded the lead. Gomes went out with Crooijmans for company with the latter reducing the deficit to 0.02 at 250m. Crooijmans then raced into a 0.35 lead with 100 to go and led by 0.08 at the final turn. Gomes, however, had other ideas and drew onto his rival’s shoulder to take the victory in 3:54.24 to 3:54.27. Émile Fouzaï was third in 3:58.53.
Marte Hieke van der Kamp headed the women’s 400IM in 4:53.20 before returning for the 800 free where she was more than four seconds behind Imani de Jong at halfway. She started making inroads from the 500m mark with De Jong taking the title in 8:42.08 with a winning margin of 0.33 over Van Der Kamp who clocked 8:42.41.
Thomas Jansen won the men’s 200IM in 2:00.99 and Lotte Hosper took the women’s 200 back in 2:11.56.
Bruinsma On the Podium
In the Para races, three-time Paralympic champion Liesette Bruinsma won the women’s 100 free S11 in 1:06.18 and took silver in the 50 fly behind Irene van Drimmelen who touched in 34.57 to 35.71.
Rogier Dorsman, winner of the 200IM SM11 at the Paris and Tokyo Paralympics, clocked 2:22.21 for victory. Olivier van de Voort led the way in the men’s 100 back S10 in 1:00.22 and Bas Takken headed the men’s 400 free S10 in 4:20.98