The Belgian Short Course Championships took place over the weekend (Nov. 14-15) in Ghent.
It allowed young and talented swimmers to swim alongside their national stars like Pieter Timmers, Emmanuel Vanluchene or Fanny Lecluyse.
As the European Championships are coming along fast it was a nice test weekend for the elite Belgian team who did not disappoint. Some of them were coming back from a week-long training trip at the Olympic Center in Lanzarote (Spain) so the meet was a good opportunity to adjust their training while others took advantage of these Belgian SC championships because they were still chasing a cut or two.
Belgian swimming has been on the rise in the last few years with appearance in European and World finals, which was long awaited since the title of Frederik Deburghgraeve in the 100m breaststroke in the 1996 summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Top performances of the weekend include:
- Timmers : M 100 free (47.71), M 200 free (1.45.04)
- Lotte Goris : W 100 free (55.68), W 200 free (2.00.55), W 400 IM (4.54.10)
- Jonas Coreelman : M 50 breast (27.88), M 100 breast (1.00.21), M 200 breast (2.09.66)
- Lecluyse : W 50 breast (30.01 BR),W 100 breast (1.04.69 BR), W 200 breast (2.19.19 BR), W 100 IM (1.00.12), W 200 IM (2.10.10)
- Lander Hendrickx : M 400 IM (4.13.50), M 400 free (3.48.38), M 1500 free (15.01.64), M 200 back (1.57.75)
- Mirthe Goris : W 100 fly (1.01.78)
- Nils Van Audekerke : M 100 back (55.31)
- Hanne Calleeuw : W 50 back (28.60)
- Louis Croenen : M 200 fly (1.57.16), M 200 IM (1.59.52)
- Aurelie Romanini : W 50 free (26.40)
- Edith Mattens : W 400 free (4.17.41), W 800 free (8.46.34)
- Vanluchene : M 100 IM (54.26), M 100 fly (52.38)
- Camille Bouden : W 200 back (2.13.09)
- Gilles De Wilde : M 50 fly (23.55)
- Jade Smits : W 100 back (1.01.73)
- Maxime Andrien : M 50 back (25.78)
- Victoria Gillet : W 200 fly (2.13.41)
- Jasper Aerents : M 50 free (21.69)
- Sara Vanleynseele : W 50 fly (27.86)
The big absence of the weekend was Kimberly Buys who is still recovering from a bike accident.
The Belgian elite team will be back in action in Netanya (ISR) for the European Short Course Championships in December.