Nandor Nemeth overhauled Kristof Milak and Richard Marton on the final length to claim the 200 free title at the Hungarian Nationals in Debrecen, winning the event in 1:47.51.
Nemeth was third behind Milak and Marton throughout the entire race although he reduced the deficit at each stage.
Come the final turn and he was 0.24 behind the 100 free champion and 0.07 adrift of Martin before turning on the power and coming home in 26.73, the only sub-27 of the field.
Milak (1:47.78) and Marton (1:48.64) claimed the minor placings.
Szebasztian Szabo: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
Milak then returned to take silver in the 50 fly in 23.56 as Szebasztian Szabo went a speedy 23.08 – just 0.08 outside the time in which he won the European title in Budapest last year. Szabo won three titles at last year’s European short-course event.
Nikolett Padar, who won the European junior 200 title in Rome last July, claimed national senior gold to add to the 100 free she took on the opening night.
Born in 2006, Padar is one of the new generation and she was the only woman on a 1:57, leading from start to finish to win in 1:57.91.
Ajna Kesely – winner of the 400 and 1500 free – was second in 1:58.78 ahead of Lilla Abraham (1:59.62).
Photo Courtesy: Rob Schumacher — USA Today Sports
Katinka Hosszu claimed victory by more than nine seconds in the women’s 400IM in 4:38.89.
The 2016 Olympic champion was edged out by 0.01 by Delma Sebestyen in the short medley but by halfway, Hosszu had built up a lead of more than four seconds.
Sebestyen was second in 4:48.05.
Hollo Balasz overcame a deficit of 1.04secs at the final turn to overhaul Hubert Kos on the last 50 and take the men’s 400IM title.
Balasz was 1.84secs adrift of Kos at 250 but steadily started eating into the 200IM’s champion’s lead and unleashed a final 50 of 29.53 to take the touch in 4:13.15 ahead of Kos in 4:13.50.
Eszter Bekesi won the women’s 200br in 2:28.07 with David Horvath taking the men’s title in 2:13.58 while Dominika Varga took the women’s 50 fly in 27.07.