ISTANBUL, Turkey, December 11. THE second day of action at the European Short Course Championships produced the second world record in as many days.
Hungary's Laszlo Cseh smashed his previous world record in the men's 400 IM with a swift 3:57.27. Cseh wiped out his previous mark of 3:59.33 set at this meet in 2007.
Here are the comparative splits:
2009: 24.70, 53.58 (28.88), 1:23.59 (30.01), 1:52.36 (28.77), 2:26.39 (34.03), 3:01.11 (34.72), 3:29.99 (28.88), 3:57.27 (27.28)
2007: 25.44, 54.93 (29.49), 1:24.97 (30.04), 1:54.24 (29.27), 2:28.61 (34.37), 3:02.97 (34.36), 3:31.99 (29.02), 3:59.33 (27.34)
Teammate David Verraszto placed second in 4:00.10, while Israel's Gal Nevo took third in 4:00.55.
After threatening the women's 800 free world record by going out nearly at Alessia Filippi's pace through 500 meters, Denmark's Lotte Friis fell well off in the final 300 meters to close out the victory in 8:08.02. Spain's Erika Villaecija Garcia took second in 8:13.93, while France's Ophelie Cyrielle Etienne placed third with an 8:16.20 from the first heat.
Denmark's Rikke Moeller Pedersen claimed the women's 200 breast with a European record time of 2:16.66. That performance crushed her previous continental standard of 2:18.30 set at the Berlin stop of the World Cup. Serbia's Nadja Higl took second in 2:17.52 to lower her national record of 2:18.54 set at the Stockholm stop, while Sweden's Joline Hostman posted a 2:19.28 to break Emma Igelstrom's Swedish record of 2:19.64 set back in 2003.
The Netherlands' Robin Van Aggele raced to victory in the men's 100 breast with a 56.29 to lower Daniel Gyurta's European record of 56.79 set yesterday. Van Aggele also smashed his national record of 57.50 set yesterday. Gyurta placed second overall with a 56.72, while Ukraine's Igor Borysik provided the third 56 with a 56.97. Borysik broke his national mark of 57.21 set in Stockholm.
The Netherlands provided an exciting duel as Inge Dekker and Ranomi Kromowidjojo battled for the women's 100 free title. Dekker surfaced with the win in 51.35, while Kromowidjojo touched a close second in 51.44. Both swimmers broke Kromowidjojo's national record of 51.54 set yesterday. Denmark's Jeanette Ottesen rounded out the top three in 52.18.
Russia's Kseniya Moskvina cleared her European record in the women's 100 back with a winning time of 56.36. That readout eclipsed the 56.66 she set during the Moscow stop of the World Cup. Croatia's Sanja Jovanovic took second in 56.93, just off her national record of 56.87 set last year at this meet. Belarus' Aleksandra Herasimenia completed the podium in 57.23.
With Slovenia's Peter Mankoc just .01 off the world record pace at the 50, Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin kicked it into high gear to win the men's 100 fly in 48.93. That time, however, was well off his world record of 48.48 set in Berlin last month. Mankoc settled for silver in 49.65, just off his national mark of 49.62 from yesterday. Serbia's Ivan Lendjer took third in 49.79.
Dekker and Schreuder put on a show in the women's 50 fly finale with a deadlock at 25-flat. Those swims beat Dekker's national record of 25.09 matched during semis. Norway's Ingvild Snildal checked in with a third-place 25.10, crushing Katharina Stiberg's national record of 25.25 set at the Stockholm stop of the World Cup.
Heading into finals of the men's 50 back, Russia's Stanislav Donets had already broken the European record three times in two days. During prelims, he clocked a 22.80 to lower his 22.86 set yesterday as a relay leadoff. Then, he posted a 22.79 during semis to drop the mark even further.
Donets then completed his victorious run through the event with a 22.76 during finals, lowering the continental standard for the fourth time in two days. Germany's Thomas Rupprath placed second in 22.85 to beat his national record of 22.91 set in November, while Spain's Aschwin Wildeboer Faber took third in 23.07 to down his national mark of 23.12 set in April.
In semifinal swims, a pair of 45s led the way in the men's 100 free. Russia's Daniil Izotov topped qualifying with a 45.80, while France's Amaury Leveaux checked in with a 45.83 for the second seed. Meanwhile, Hungary's Evelyn Verraszto paced the women's 100 IM semis with a 58.61.
To conclude the night, The Netherlands team of Dekker, Schreuder, Saskia De Jonge and Kromowidjojo lowered its world-best time in the women's 200 free relay with a 1:33.25. That swim beat the previous world best of 1:33.80 set by The Netherlands at this meet last year. FINA does not recognize the 200-meter relays as official world records.