The final night of the 2017 European Short Course Championships opened with semifinals of the women’s 50 freestyle. The final will go off in just over an hour.
Denmark’s Pernille Blume took the first semifinal in a 23.62. France’s Charlotte Bonnett was a quarter second behind her in 23.88 while Russian Rozaliya Nasretdinova touched in 23.93 for third in that first heat.
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom powered to a 23.39 to take the second semifinal. She’ll be the top seed in the final, her time only .07 shy of the Championship record, a 23.32 set in 2009 by the Netherlands’ Hinkelien Schreuder.
The Netherlands’ current leading sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo was just behind Sjostrom in 23.53. She’ll be the second seed overall. Blume, Bonnett, and Nasretdinova hold the third through fifth spots. Russia’s Maria Kameneva (24.03), the Netherlands’ Femke Heemskerk (24.17) and Finland’s Mimosa Jallow (24.17) will also race in the final.
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