European Championships: Zsuzsanna Jakabos Sets Appearance Record At 11th Europeans, Kristof Milak Returns
Zsuzsanna Jakabos got her record 11th European Aquatics Championships underway in Belgrade on Monday as she seeks to book a place at her sixth Olympic Games.
The Hungarian made her continental debut at Madrid 2004 a month after her 15th birthday, surrounded by the likes of Yana Klochkova, Laure Manaudou and Therese Alshammar.
The 35-year-old moved clear of fellow Hungarians Laszlo Cseh and Katinka Hosszu – with 10 Europeans apiece – when she took to the water for the women’s 4×2 prelims at the Sports Center Milan Gale Muskatirovic in the Serbian capital.
The quartet topped the heats in 8:03.82 and should Jakabos succeed in booking her place at Paris 2024, she would join Alshammar as only the second woman to have competed at six Olympics.
Zsuzsanna Jakabos: Photo courtesy: European Aquatics
She would also be only the fifth swimmer overall to compete in six Games along with Alshammar and fellow Swede Lars Frolander, Tunisian Oussama Mellouli and Derya Büyükuncu.
The 37th edition of the European Aquatics Championships is missing many top names with a host choosing to compete at the Sette Colli at the weekend.
However, a major name in the form of Kristof Milak is competing in the Serbian capital and on Monday he made his first appearance at a major international competition since Roma 2022.
The Olympic 200 fly champion posted the 13th fastest time in the 50 fly of 23.63 but with the two-per-nation rule and Szebasztian Szabo (23.49) and Hubert Kos (23.51) have gone quicker, Milak didn’t progress.
The championships serve as a final chance for pool swimmers to qualify for Paris 2024 with the qualification period ending on 23 June, the final day of competition in Belgrade.
Hungarians occupied the top four slots in the men’s 400IM prelims, headed by Hollo Balazs whose time of 4:12.46 was an A cut in an event synonymous with Hungary, following in the footsteps of Cseh and Tamas Darnyi, who won the double double of both IMs at Seoul 1988 and Barcelona 1992.
Barbora Seemanova headed the women’s 100 free in 54.04 to lead four women inside 55.
Vladislav Bukhov, the 50 free world champion, led the way into the fly semis in 23.33.
Eszter Szabo Feltothy led the 200 back in 2:09.77 with Hungarians filling the top three places with only two progressing.
Andrius Sidlauskas is the top seed into the men’s 100m breaststroke, clocking 59.36 to Melvin Imoudu‘s 59.43 with the pair the only men inside the minute mark.
Deniz Ertan of Turkey headed the women’s 800 free in 8:38.00 with Boglarka Kapas – winner in 2012 and 2016 – safely through at her final Europeans.
Lithuania headed the men’s 4×200 free prelims in 7:09.75 with Bulgaria taking the eighth spot in 7:19.20.