The young generation is coming at the second day of the Dutch Nationals, Dimitras and Van der Zandt swam very impressive times at the 400 IM, and Hinkelien Schreuder and Sander Ganzevles missed the Dutch record at the 50 backstroke on only a few hundredth of a second. Inky swam an awesome butterfly, also did Pieter van den Hoogenband.

First final was not at a very high level without Olympians Kirsten Vlieghuis and Carla Geurts. The new generation took over, lead by youngster Renee Dimitra who swam a personal best time but couldn't make it under 9 minutes, (9:03.15) Long distance swimmer Etta van der Weijden (9:08.96) who swam at the World Championships at Hawaii last year, helped Celine Lemmen to an European Youth Championships time cut (9:09.87).

The 400 IM was a battle between Nick van der Zandt and Georgios Dimitras again, the same competitors as at the 200 IM. Dimitras, winner of the silver medal last year at the EYC at Dunkerque, showed he had more endurance at this event, the hardest of all. At the back and the fly they swam aside, but at the breaststroke Dimitras showed his talent and swam away, he finished with a very strong free in 4:26.99. Van der Zandt ended up in 4:33.12, which was an EYC time cut.

Inge de Bruijn was Inky again, the star from Sydney. The new 'Madam Butterfly', who has trained more on the freestyle lately to improve her endurance. Yesterday she said she wasn't satisfied with her butterfly performances yet, now swam a glorious race. With 27.26 and 31.12 as splits she swam to 58.38, the second time at the world ranking! The other short butterfly final promised to be an exiting one, Joris Keizer who defended his Dutch title, had to compete with his Philips team-mate Pieter van den Hoogenband who preferred this event above the 200 freestyle on which he already swam a time cut for Fukuoka, and other butterfly specialist and Olympian Stefan Aartsen. Van den Hoogenband won this titan-race in a personal best 54.16, just before the fly swimmer from his commercial team, Keizer (54.45), closely followed by Aartsen (54.47). Van den Hoogenband said he wanted to swim something else this time, "the 400 freestyle (from yesterday, OAR) and the 100 butterfly matched better with my schedule". If he can make a personal best time at this event, still making heavy workouts every day, what will he swim at his favourite 200 freestyle at Fukuoka? We'll see!

Madelon Baans swam a disappointing 200 breaststroke for women (2:35.63). It was her last 200, afterwards she said "I won't swim this event again". Her time was for away from the time cut for Fukuoka. The men were more successful at this distance, EYC star from last year at this event Thijs van Valkengoed, swam the time cut for this year in a promising 2:20.31. He was leading the first half in his special 'dive' technique, but at the end he had to let Benno Kuipers win this Championship (2:19.12).

Question of the 200 freestyle was if there could be a relay formed for Fukuoka, both for men and women. The women tried first. The first 100 was almost equal for a all, the second part Carla Geurts took the lead and ended up in 2:02.20. She was the only who could make the individual time cut. Based upon the individual times, there won't be a relay, Kirsten Vlieghuis finished in 2:02.35; Manon van Rooijen in 2:03.95. The men won a bronze medal at Sydney and silver one at Perth (1998); based on the times swam today, those glorious days are over. Martijn Zuijdweg won in a disappointing 1:52.47, not enough for an individual start, followed by Arnold van Bavel with 1:54.40. Three men of the Sydney-team weren't competing here, Pieter van den Hoogenband (he has this time cut already, but he doesn't want to swim the relay if there are no possibilities for good results), Marcel Wouda (he quitted in December), and finally Mark van Zijden, he is still swimming but was injured.

After these tragedies there was light again at the end of the tunnel, on the 50 meter backstroke there has been set some rather good times at the prelims, maybe the Dutch records could be improved at the finals. Hinkelien Schreuder ranked first after those prelims, her time was 29.93. Now at the finals she had a good start, stayed quite long under water and swam to 29.58, only 0.01 above the Dutch record, and sat for her, 0.08 above the Fukuoka time cut. Suze Valen, who is now still the recordholder, swam to a second place in 29.97. In the other final Sander Ganzevles and Klaas Erik Zwering were very good competitors, they lead each other to a personal best time. Ganzevles finished first in 26.74, only 0.02 seconds above the Dutch record and 0.01 faster than his prelim-time (26.75). Zwering, swimming for the commercial team, ended up in 27.04. This happy ending showed the young talents are taking over from the old generation and will prelude a new period in Dutch swimming.