Tessa Giele Rattles 100 Fly Rankings At Bergen Swim Festival
Tessa Giele elevated herself into the top five of the 100 fly world rankings as she claimed her third title of the Bergen Swim Festival.
Giele – who won 100 fly silver behind Gretchen Walsh at the short-course worlds in Budapest in December 2024 – was a clear winner in the long-course equivalent in 57.17. Out in 26.32 and back in 30.85, it was a PB for the Netherlands swimmer and the fifth-fastest performance in the all-time national rankings. Only four-time Olympic champion Inge de Bruijn has gone faster in Dutch waters topped by her then WR of 56.61 en-route to the Olympic title at Sydney 2000.
Giele had opened her Bergen programme on Friday with victories in the 50 fly (25.98) and 50 back (27.67).
Sara Junevik of Sweden was second in 59.09 with Marthe Willumsen third in 1:00.20.
Junevik started the session in the 100 free where there was nothing to separate her from Snæfridur Sol at the 50 where both women turned in 26.87. Sol split 28.62 to pull away and take the win in 55.49 to 55.85 with Hedda Øritsland third in 55.99.
Erik Persson has clinched world and European medals over 200m breaststroke in recent years and shared the continental title with Bulgaria’s Lyubomir Epitropov in Belgrade last year. The 2022 world silver medallist was joint third at the first turn before moving into first place by halfway. Persson pulled away to win in 2:10.67 ahead of Collin van der Hoff (2:13.95) and Christoffer Tofte Haarsaker (2:14.16).
It was a second title for Persson who won the 100m breaststroke on Friday in 1:01.27.
Sander Kiær Sørensen set a national record in the men’s 200 free final, the Norwegian going 1:46.48 for victory to slice 0.63 from the 1:47.11 he set at the Linköping Water Games last weekend. It followed his national standard of 48.86 in the 100 free on the opening night.
Silje Rongevær Slyngstadli won the women’s 50m breaststroke in 30.73 with Giele taking her second medal of the night with bronze in 31.91.
Oliver Danielsen won the men’s 1500 in 15:40.36.
The highlight of the opening night of the Bergen Swim Festival on Friday was Kyle Chalmers’ scorching 47.27 in the 100 free, the fourth-fastest of his illustrious career. The Australian returns for the 50 free on Sunday where Dylan Carter and Kenzo Simons are among those awaiting.