National Records For Noè Ponti & Louis Droupy As Swiss Short Course Championships Wrap Up
The Swiss Short-Course Championships came to an end with Noè Ponti again rewriting the national history books in Oberkirch.
The Tokyo Olympic bronze 100 fly medallist went 21.18 leading off the SC Uster 4×50 free squad to set a Swiss 50 free mark and slice 0.50 from the previous record of 21.68 held by Flori Lang since March 2009.
The quartet of Ponti, Thomas Hallock (21.85), Tino Hämmerle (22.48) and Fabian Kempf (22.28) each played their part in breaking the previous record of the 4×50 meter freestyle relay with a final time of 1:27.79, also a Swiss record.
Louis Droupy also wrote his own line in the record books when he lowered the men’s 100m breaststroke to 58.27 to slice 0.34 from Yannick Käser’s 58.61 set twice in 2018.
Droupy also won the 200 breast in 2:10.15 and was second over 50m.
Ponti posted 48.59 to win the 100 fly which is the third fastest of his career behind his European record of 48.40 and his previous continental standard of 48.47 and won gold in the 100m medley with 50.94.
Ponti didn’t contest the 200 fly and is set to take a break from the gruelling event in the long-course pool. In his absence, Ilan Gagnebin (Lausanne Aquatique) came through in a tight tussle, clocking 1:56.21 ahead of Enrico Sottile achieved silver in 1:56.35, closely followed by Marius Toscan with bronze in 1:56.94.
Nor did he compete in the 50 fly, in which he owns the four fastest times in history topped by his 21.50 WR from the final World Cup stop in Singapore. Peter Kopacsi won the title in 23.84.
Lena Kreundl enjoyed a medal-laden campaign. On the opening day she won the 50 back (28.19) and 100 fly (59.30) followed by the 200 free (1:58.95) on day two before completing her programme with victory in the 100 free (54.47) and 50 fly (26.96)
Angelina Patt swept the IMs with victory over 100, 200 and 400IM.
Balint Ashton from the Basel Swimming Club won the men’s 200 free in 1:45.73 before clinching the double with 100 victory in 48.94.
Roman Mityukov won the 50 freestyle in 22.13 with the Paris Olympic bronze medallist a clear winner in the 200 back on the final day in 1:52.53,