The 2018 European Championships is a first-ever combination of six events in aquatics, cycling, golf, gymnastics, rowing and triathlon in an 11-day program in Glasgow (GBR),while the European Championships in Athletics will be contested in the same window in Berlin (GER). Schedule:
- Aquatics:
Glasgow 3-12 August (Swimming, Diving, Artistic, Open Water) - Cycling:
Glasgow 2-12 August (Track, Road, Mountain Bike, BMX) - Golf:
Glasgow 8-12 August - Gymnastics:
Glasgow 2-12 August (Artistic) - Rowing:
Glasgow 2-5 August - Triathlon:
Glasgow 9-11 August - Athletics:
Berlin 6-12 August
The swimming competition at the 2018 European Championships has gotten off to a flying start, with two world records and six world-leading marks (one equaled) in just the first three days:
Men:
1,500 m Freestyle: 14:36.15 Florian Wellbrock (GER)
50 m Backstroke: 24.00 World Record Kliment Kolesnikov (RUS)
100 m Breaststroke: 57.10 World Record Adam Peaty (GBR)
Women:
50 m Freestyle: 23.74 Sarah Sjostrom (SWE)
100 m Butterfly: 56.23 (=) Sjostrom
400 m Medley: 4:34.17 Fantine Lesaffre (FRA)
Peaty’s world mark in the 100 Breast was clearly signaled by his sensational 57.89 mark in the heats, a time which no one except he (as world-record holder at 57.13 ‘16) had ever achieved. In the final, he rocketed off the blocks in 0.47, had more than a second lead at the turn (26.65) and lowered his record to an initially-reported 57.00, later corrected to 57.10 because of a “configuration delay.” His British teammate James Wilby took the silver and moved up to equal-fourth all-time at 58.64.
Kolesnikov, 18, set a World Junior Record in his semi at 24.25 and lowered it to 24.00, beating Romania’s Robert Glinta, who had moved to no. 3 on the all-time list by swimming 24.12 in his semi. Kolesnikov moved Britain’s Liam Tancock (24.04 ‘09) off the world-record list. He later set another World Junior Record in the 100 m Back semis (52.95).
Sjostrom was in a furious battle with Denmark’s Rio 50 m Free champ Pernilla Blume, who swam 23.85 (=3rd all-time) in the semis. Sjostrom just out-touched her, 23.74-23.75 as Blume moved to no.3 all-time by herself and Sjostrom missed her own world record by 0.07!
Other events of note:
- Men’s 1,500 m Freestyle: Germany’s Florian Wellbrock, the yearly leader, moved to no. 4 on the all-time list at 14:36.15 with an impressive second half of his race. The surprise came as Olympic and World Champion Gregorio Paltrinieri (ITA), no. 2 on the world list for 2018, finished third behind Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Romanchuk, whose 14:36.88 time makes him no. 5 ever. Paltrinieri (14:42.85) got third.
- Women’s 800 m Freestyle: Italy’s Simona Quadrella won in 8:16.45, second-fastest in the world this year to Katie Ledecky (8:07.27).
- Women’s 50 m Backstroke: Britain’s Georgia Davies set a European Record of 27.21 in the heats, no. 2 in the world for 2018 and moving her to no. 4 on the all-time list. She won the final in 27.23.
Elsewhere in the Euros, Germany’s Lisa Brennauer scored an impressive cycling double, winning the women’s 3,000 m Individual Pursuit in track cycling on Saturday and then finishing third in the 130 km Individual Road Race on Sunday!
Brennauer earned the bronze medal in the frantic sprint to the finish in Glasgow, with Italy’s Marta Bastianelli winning in 3:28:15 and defending champion Marianne Vos (NED) finishing second.
In gymnastics, 2016 Olympic gold medalist Sanne Wevers (NED) claimed her first European title in Balance Beam. Belgium’s Nina Derwael, a 2017 Worlds bronze medalist on the Uneven Bars, won the Uneven Bars title in Glasgow and finished second on Beam.