Sarah Sjöström Goes 23.87 For Euro Meet 50 Free Record; David Popovici Victorious in 2024 Debut

Sarah Sjostrom of Sweden competes in the 50m Freestyle Women semifinal during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 29th, 2023. Sarah Sjostrom placed first with a new world record.

Sarah Sjöström : Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Sarah Sjöström Goes 23.87 For Euro Meet 50 Free Record; Victories For Le Clos, Popovici & Ndoye Brouard

Sarah Sjöström laid down a marker as she lowered her own 50 free Euro Meet record on day two in Luxembourg.

The Olympic silver medallist stopped the clock at 23.87 to slice 0.14secs from her own meet mark of 24.01 from January 2017.

It was the joint 12th-fastest of Sjöström’s career and 0.26 outside her world record of 23.61 as she added the 50 free to the 50 fly she won on Friday.

Fellow Swede Michelle Coleman was 1.07secs adrift in second (24.94) with Lison Nowaczyk next home in 25.33.

Diogo Ribeiro won the men’s dash, also adding the 50 free to his 50 fly title in 22.03 with fellow Portuguese swimmer Miguel Duarte Nascimento (22.30) and Nikola Miljenic (22.39) taking the minor placings.

GQEBERHA, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 15: Chad le Clos in the Men 100 LC Butterfly during day 4 of the SA National Aquatic Championships at Newton Park Swimming Pool on April 15, 2023 in Gqeberha, South Africa. (Photo by Anton Geyser/Gallo Images)

Chad le Clos. Photo Courtesy: Anton Geyser

Chad Le Clos added the 100 fly to his 200 crown in 51.79, 0.08 ahead of the fast-finishing Austrian Simon Bucher (51.87) and backstroke specialist Yohann Ndoye Brouard who claimed third in 52.73.

That followed the Frenchman’s gold in the 50 back, Ndoye Brouard dominant in 25.00 a day after setting a Euro Meet record in the 100 to continue a fine start to 2024 which promises much for a home Olympics sixth months hence.

Popovici Dominates & Ressencourt Doubles Up

David Popovici dominated the 200 free to win in 1:46.19, 1.65secs ahead of Velimir Stjepanovic (1:47.84) with Hadrien Salvan completing the podium in 1:48.82.

Maya Werner added the women’s title to her 800 crown in 2:00.11, ahead of the fast-finishing Francisca Soares Martins, (2:00.24).

Lilou Ressencourt came from fourth at halfway with a 31sec second 50 to win the women’s 100 fly in 58.48, a day after winning the 200.

Sara Junevik was second in 58.59 with Elena Di Liddo third in 58.98.

Arianna Castiglioni edged the women’s 50m breaststroke in 30.71, 0.04 ahead of Shona Branton in second (30.75) with Martina Carraro making it an Italian 1-3 in 30.92.

David Popovici of Romania reacts after competing in the 100m Freestyle Men Heats during the 20th World Aquatics Championships at the Marine Messe Hall A in Fukuoka (Japan), July 26th, 2023.

David Popovici: Photo Courtesy: Giorgio Scala / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto

Simone Cerasuolo led an Italian clean sweep of the men’s podium with a far more decisive victory in 27.14 to Federico Poggio‘s 27.61 with Alessandro Pinzuti clocking 27.92 for third.

Carraro returned to take second over 200m in 2:28.59 behind Clara Rybak-Andersen as the Dane claimed a clear win in 2:26.38.

Marco Koch won the men’s race in 2:15.04 with fellow German Mathis Schoenung second home in 2:15.95.

Elsewhere at the Euro Meet, Tessa Giele won the women’s 50 back in 28.01 with Adela Piskorska of Poland adding 50 silver to 100 bronze in 28.31 with Silvia Scala next home in 28.47.

Diana Margarida Duraes headed the women’s 1500 in 16:35.65 with Luke McGee fastest in the men’s 800 in 8:17.52.

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