AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, December 3. TWO individual Dutch records fell during the first night of the Dutch Short Course Championships.
Nick Driebergen crushed his Dutch record in the men's 200 back with a winning time of 1:53.08. That swim far surpassed his previous best of 1:53.74 set two years ago in Amsterdam, and moved Driebergen up to 12th in the world rankings. Jurjen Willemsen finished second in 1:57.65, while Bastiaan Lijesen took third in 1:59.48.
Sharon van Rouwendaal posted a Dutch record of her own in the women's 200 fly. She stopped the clock in 2:09.77 to clip Inge Dekker's 2006 standard of 2:09.98. Lenneke van Schaik placed second in 2:15.18, while Andrea Kneppers touched third in 2:16.16.
Wendy van der Zanden downed the meet record in the women's 200 back with a 2:06.53. That time improved her 19th-ranked season best of 2:06.63 from the European Short Course Championships, but could not clear Jenny Mensing's 18th-ranked 2:06.45. Evy Witlox (2:10.49) and Willemijn Knot (2:13.36) took second and third.
Joeri Verlinden took down the meet record in the men's 200 fly with a 1:53.35 to move into a sixth-ranked tie with Dinko Jukic in the rankings. Fabian Beimin took second in 2:01.23, while Wouter Houtman finished third in 2:04.88.
Lennart Stekelenburg claimed the men's 100 breast in a meet-record 59.24. Roy Smeenge finished second in 1:00.59, while Bram Dekker touched third in 1:01.28. Stekelenburg doubled up with a 1:58.47 in the men's 200 IM. Driebergen took his second podium with a second-place 1:59.81, while Devi Wolthuizen finished third in 2:01.21.
Hinkelien Schreuder grabbed the women's 50 free title in 24.32. Ilse Kraayeveld (25.20) and Maud van de Meer (25.31) placed second and third. Schreuder doubled up with a 2:12.02 in the women's 200 IM. Lieke Verouden (2:14.89) and Joelle Scheps (2:16.13) bracketed her on the podium.
Job Kienhuis won the men's 400 free in 3:46.28, while Stefan de Die placed second in 3:47.57. Arjen van der Meulen finished third in 3:49.91. Kienhuis has been much faster this year with a 13th-ranked 3:44.13 from Euros. Rieneke Terink topped the women's 400 free in 4:08.86, while Esmee Vermeulen took second in 4:12.65. Marieke Nijhuis wound up third in 4:12.81.
Jan Kersten and Bas van Velthoven tied for the men's 50 free crown with matching 22.30s. Geert Lantink took third in 22.33. Moniek Nijhuis snared the women's 100 breast title in 1:06.44, just off her 11th-ranked season best of 1:06.20 from Euros. Tessa Brouwer finished second in 1:07.62, while Loes Zanderink earned third in 1:08.21.
In relay action, Joost Reijns, Bas van Velthoven, Joeri Verlinden and Stefan de Die clocked a Dutch-record 7:04.61 to win the men's 800 free relay. Wendy van den Zanden, Manon Minneboo, Clarissa van Rheenen and Maud van de Meer won the women's 400 free relay in 3:41.38.