Dan Wiffen Goes 14:35.79 In 1500 Free At LEN European U23 Championships; 2nd Fastest Of Career
Dan Wiffen treated the Dublin crowd to an exhibition of distance swimming when he went 14:35.79 in the 1500 free at the LEN European U23 Championships.
It was the second-fastest time of the Irishman’s career, eclipsed only by his 14:34.91 from the Swim Open Stockholm, and came less than a fortnight after he finished fourth at the World Championships in Fukuoka.
His time was 1.49secs swifter than the 14:37.28 in which Sam Short won bronze in Japan and 7.22secs quicker than the 14:43.01 that saw him locked out of the medals.
Wiffen now holds the fourth and fifth-fastest times of 2023.
Behind him came Sven Schwarz of Germany in 14:43.53 and Italy’s Luca De Tullio (14:54.31).
The United States’ Hunter Tapp went ahead on the second 50 of the 200 backstroke at the Sport Ireland: National Aquatics Centre, where he stayed throughout to stop the clock in 1:56.45.
Splits: 27.51/57.11 (29.60)/1:26.93 (29.82)/1:56.45 (29.52)
It was swifter than the 1:58.75 in which Daiki Yanagawa finished eighth at the World Championships in Fukuoka.
Commonwealth bronze medallist Pieter Coetze of South Africa took second in 1:57.05 with Kai van Westering moving from fourth at the 150 to overhaul Charlie Brown for third in 1:57.86.
Hunter Tapp: Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick
Dimitrios Markos set a Greek record of 1:46.65 in the men’s 200 free, despite being seventh at halfway.
The 21-year-old went 53.68 (26.99/26.69) in the second 100 to move through the field and overhaul long-time leader Patrick Sammon on the final 50.
The Tokyo Olympian lowered the previous national standard of 1:46.94 set by Andreas Vazaios at the Swim Open Stockholm in April 2022.
Sammon led home USA teammate Aaron Shackell in 1:47.27 to 1:47.35.
Markos booked a trip to Doha for the 2024 World Championships and in comments on the Greek Federation website, he said:
“It was a fantastic race for me. I was especially happy for both the first place and the gold medal, but also for my time, which is a record. The competition was very good and in the end I took advantage of my good competition condition and won.”
Just 0.05 separated the first three men home in the men’s 100 fly with Gabriel Jett touching first in 51.65.
Austrian Simon Bucher – who led at halfway – was next home in 51.69, 0.01 ahead of Jakub Majerski of Poland who was joint seventh at the turn before turning on the turbos with a 27.22 second 50 to finish in 51.70.
Jett claimed his second gold in the mixed medley relay won by the USA in 3:45.99 ahead of Poland (3:46.68) and Great Britain (3:47.15).
McSharry Makes History
Mona McSharry got the session off to a winning start for Ireland as she took the 50 breaststroke in 30.37, 0.08 outside her national record of 30.29 from April.
It was also the first title to be clinched in European U23 Championships history.
Mona McSharry: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Anita Bottazzo of Italy took silver in 30.59.
A second medal followed for the home fans when Ellen Walshe came from seventh at halfway to take silver in the women’s 100m butterfly.
Keanna Macinnes of Britain posted 58.48 for gold with Walshe’s second 50 of 30.40 – the fastest in the field – propelling her to 58.70, Emma Sticklen of the USA was next home in 58.76.
Walshe wasn’t done as she returned for the 200IM where she led until the 150 mark when the USA’s Justine Kozan came from sixth to first with a 29.38 final 50.
Kozan won in 2:12.98 with Walshe taking her second silver of the night in 2:13.12 and Hanna Bergman third in 2:15.12.
Gose Dominates 800
Isabel Gose had been the fastest qualifier for the women’s 200 free but opted to focus on the 800 and it was Lucie Tessariol of France who claimed gold, coming from third at the final turn to come past the field with a 29.53 last 50 to stop the clock in 1:58.42.
Isabel Gose: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Francisca Soares Martins of Portugal was second in 1:58.60, 0.06 ahead of Slovenia’s Janja Segel (1:58.66).
Gose led from start to finish for an emphatic victory in the 800 free in 8:20.80, 8.86secs ahead of German teammate Leonie Maertens (8:29.66) with the USA’s Paige McKenna completing the podium in 8:36.60.
Italy’s Simone Cerasuolo added the continental 50 breaststroke U23 title to his silver at the 2022 European Championships in 26.94.
Koen de Groot (27.05) and Archie Goodburn (27.44) took silver and bronze respectively.
Tessa Giele of the Netherlands won the women’s 50 back in 27.86 ahead of the USA’s Paige Stadden (27.98), the pair the only women inside 28