David Popovici Fires Off 48.01 100 Free, Sets Two Euro Meet Records In One Day; Yohann Ndoye Brouard Completes Backstroke Treble
David Popovici went 48.01 in the 100 free as he twice lowered the Euro Meet record on the final day of the three-day competition in Luxembourg.
The 2022 world and European champion set a meet mark of 48.43 in the morning prelims to take 0.07 from Velimir Stjepanovic’s 48.50 record from 2017.
The world record-holder returned for the afternoon finals, splitting 23.09/24.92 to slice a further 0.42 from that standard.
It was a dominant victory ahead of Diogo Ribeiro (48.67) and Andrej Barna (48.70) and saw him add 100 gold to his 200 title.
The Romanian’s effort eclipses Jack Alexy’s 48.24 at the TYR Pro Swim Series in Knoxville earlier this month and was the 22nd quickest of his career but the swiftest outside at this time of year.
Popovici won’t be competing at the 2024 World Championships in Doha but his times at this stage of the season hint at a speedy summer to come in Paris.
It was one of four Euro Meet records in Sunday’s finals session.
Yohann Ndoye Brouard completed a fine competition as he claimed the backstroke treble with a dominant 1:58.03 victory in the 200m.
Yohann Ndoye Brouard: Photo Courtesy: KMSP/Stephane Kempinaire
The European champion cut 0.01 from his previous Euro Meet mark of 1:58.04 from January 2020 having already set a 53.12 standard over 100m.
The Frenchman was second behind Sam Greenbank at the first turn before he went ahead on the following 50, extending his lead thereafter and enjoying a 5.63secs winning margin.
Greenbank was second in 2:03.66 with Mathys Chouchaoui (2:03.94).
Ndoye Brouard’s teammate Emma Terebo eclipsed Daryna Zevina‘s 200 back mark, lowering it from 2:09.85 to 2:09.08 to underline the French depth in backstroke with six months to go until a home Games in Paris.
Adela Piskorska claimed her third medal of the meet with silver in 2:12.60 with Lou Anne Guiton completing the rostrum in 2:14.69.
Shona Branton set a new Euro Meet standard in the women’s 100m breaststroke, the Canadian clocking 1:06.59 to cut 0.36 from Sophie Hansson’s 1:06.95 standard from January last year.
Arianna Castiglioni (1:07.87) and Martina Carraro (1:07.96) made it two Italians on the podium.
Coleman Wins & Poggio Leads Italian Clean Sweep
A 28.41 second 50 fired Michelle Coleman into first in the women’s 100 free in 54.83 with Elisabeth Sabroe Ebbesen second in 54.98.
Backstroke specialist Mary-Ambre Moluh completed the podium in 55.27.
Michelle Coleman: Photo Courtesy: Pia Ellegaard Mortensen
Federico Poggio came from third at halfway to win the men’s 100m breaststroke by 0.01 in 1:00.69 as he led home an Italian clean sweep of the podium.
Alessandro Pinzuti was second in 1:00.70 with Simone Cerasuolo third in 1:01.47 a day after the trio occupied the podium in the 50m.
Maya Werner completed the 200-400-800 treble with victory over eight lengths in 4:10.88 ahead of Francisca Soares Martins (4:13.90) and Diana Margarida Duraes (4:14.41).
Stjepanovic won the men’s race in 3:53.35 ahead of Max Vorobiev (3:59.90) with the pair the only men inside 4mins.
European junior champion Leah Schlossan held off the fast finish of Hanna Bergman to take the 200IM in 2:14.42 to 2:14.58 while Gian Luca Gartmann won the men’s race in 2:02.06,