European Championships, Night Six Semifinals: Hubert Kos Positioned to Chase Gold in 200 IM
As the European Championships near their conclusion, the schedule calls for plenty of semifinal action on Saturday, including competition in the men’s 50-meter freestyle. That event will feature Russia’s Egor Kornev, who earlier this year scared the 21-second barrier in the event. He’ll be joined by Ukraine’s Nikita Sheremev, who is the top seed following a prelims performance of 21.56.
In addition to the men’s 50 freestyle, semifinals will be held in the women’s 50 breaststroke, women’s 200 butterfly, men’s 200 individual medley and men’s 100 backstroke. Great Britain’s Duncan Scott was quickest in the morning in the 200 IM, but Hungarian Hubert Kos is lurking, the event his second of the session. Kos has the final of the 200 butterfly to kick off Night Six.
Here is an event-by-event recap of the Night Six semifinals:
Men’s 50 Freestyle
Ukraine’s Nikita Sheremet followed up the fastest time in the morning with the quickest effort of the semifinals, going 21.38 to earn Lane Four for the final. Sheremet prevailed in the second semifinal, touching ahead of Russia’s Egor Kornev (21.44), who won silver in the 100 freestyle earlier in the meet. The 2024 world champion from Doha, Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov posted the No. 3 time entering the championship race, behind a swim of 21.51.
Women’s 50 Breaststroke
Italian Benedetta Pilato, twice a medalist at the European Championships in the 50 breaststroke, led the way into the final of her best event. Pilato went 29.84 to top the semifinals, touching just ahead of Estonian Eneli Jefimova, who was timed in 29.93. Lithuania’s Ruta Meilutyte, the world-record holder in the event, advanced to the final as the No. 3 seed, going 30.05. Meilutyte is a two-time European champ in the event.
Women’s 200 Butterfly
A wide-open field in the 200 butterfly will offer Great Britain a chance at two places on the podium. Emily Richards (2:07.10) and Keanna Macinnes (2:07.61) qualified for the final in the first and fourth positions, respectively. Denmark’s Helena Rosendahl Bach moved on as the No. 3 seed, thanks to a mark of 2:07.18, and Spain’s Laura Cabanes Garzas was also under the 2:08 barrier in 2:07.53.
Men’s 200 Individual Medley
Spain’s Hugo Gonzalez will race out of Lane Four in the final of the 200 individual medley after registering the fastest time of the morning heats. Gonzalez went 1:56.61 for a championship record and was followed closely by Hungarian Hubert Kos, who went 1:56.73. Kos is the reigning bronze medalist from the World Championships and already won the 200 backstroke at Euros.
Two-time Olympic silver medalist Duncan Scott of Great Britain qualified fifth in 1:57.49, following Russian Mikhail Shcherbakov (1:57.37) and Italy’s Alberto Razzetti (1:57.46).
Men’s 100 Backstroke
Three men broke the 53-second barrier in the semifinals of the 100 backstroke, led by Russia’s Georgii Iakovlev in 52.89. Right behind in 52.93 was Italian Thomas Ceccon, the world-record holder and reigning Olympic champion. Also going sub-53 was Greece’s Apostolos Christou, as he turned in a swim of 52.94.
