The swimming competition at the 2018 European Championships finished with two world records and 12 world-leading marks (one equaled):
Men:
50 m Freestyle: 21.11 Ben Proud (GBR)
800 m Freestyle: 7:42.96 Mykhailo Romanchuk (UKR)
1,500 m Freestyle: 14:36.15 Florian Wellbrock (GER)
50 m Backstroke: 24.00 World Record Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS)
200 m Backstroke: 1:53.36 Evgeny Rylov (RUS)
50 m Breaststroke: 26.23 Adam Peaty (GBR)
50 m Breaststroke: 26.09 Peaty
100 m Breaststroke: 57.10 World Record Peaty
200 m Breaststroke: 2:06.80 Anton Chuptov (RUS)
Women:
50 m Freestyle: 23.74 Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)
100 m Butterfly: 56.23 (=) Sjostrom
400 m Medley: 4:34.17 Fantine Lesaffre (FRA)
Proud’s time of 21.11 in the 50 m Free semifinals was triply important: not just the world leader for 2018 and the no. 3 performer ever, but also the fastest ever in a textile suit! In the minds of a lot of folks, that makes him the de facto world-record holder. Almost completely lost in the discussion was Italy’s Andrea Vergani, who swam 21.37 for no. 3 in the world in 2018.
Proud won the final in 21.34, giving him the three fastest times in the world this season.
Romanchuk’s 800 m Free mark surpassed American Zane Grothe (7:44.57) for the world lead in 2018 and moves him to no. 10 on the all-time list.
Peaty sailed to the third-fastest time in history – he owns the other two as well – in winning the 50 m Breast and posted world leaders in Glasgow in both the semis and finals. Peaty won four golds at the meet, taking the 50 m and 100 m Breast events and swimming legs on the winning 4×100 m Medley and 4×100 m Mixed Medley relays.
Other events to note:
- Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu had a poor meet by her standards, but did win the 200 m Medley in 2:10.17, her fifth straight European Championships gold in the event. She just out-touched Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato (2:10.25). Hosszu’s time was well off her meet record of 2:07.30 from 2016.
- Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won the 50 m Fly in 25.17, behind her own world-leading mark of 25.07. She won four golds in Glasgow: the 50 and 100 m frees and 50 and 100 m Fly events, with world-leading marks in the 50 Free and 100 m Fly (equaling Japan’s Rikako Ikee).
- Yuliya Efimova (RUS) moved to no. 2 on the year list in the 50 m Breast semis, posting the fastest qualifier at 29.66 and then won the final in 29.81. She swept the breaststroke events – 50, 100 and 200 m – and added a 4×100 m Medley Relay gold for four total wins.
- Margherita Panziera (ITA) raced to the front from the start and ran away with the 200 m Backstroke title, finishing in a meet-record 2:06.18 and moving to no. 2 on the year list.
- Italy’s Piero Codia was just the eighth qualifier in the men’s 100 m Fly, but he won the race in an excellent 50.64, moving him to no. 2 in the world for 2018 and no. 9 all-time!
- More Italy: Simona Quadarella also won the 400 m Free, giving her all three distance golds, this time in 4:03.35, no. 5 in the world for 2018.
So, Peaty, Sjostrom and Efimova all won four golds and Quadarella won three. Russia piled up the most medals with 26, followed by Great Britain (24) and Italy (22). The Russians had 10 wins to nine for the British.
The complete swimming results are here.
