The 141st European record of the year (every one a thriller... ) has fallen: Daniel Gyurta (HUN), an Olympic silver medallist as a teenager in 2004 and world champion in a shiny suit this summer past, clocked 56.89 (split: 27.08) in heats at the continent's winter showcase championships, the last in the shiny suits era before performance-enhancing bodysuits and non-textiles are banned from January 1, 2010.
The 4x50m medley is not a world record recognised by FINA, given that it is not an event swum around the world. The mark had stood to Italy at 1:32.91 from a year ago. Now it stands to Russia, which brought heats to a close in 1:32.08: Donets, 23.04, Lakhtyukhov, 26.63 (49.67); Korotyshkin, 22.08 (1:11.75) and Lagunov, 20.33 (1:32.08). Whatever doubt there is at world level, the Russian time marked the 142nd European record of the year, and counting ...
The 100m breaststroke standard, pre-Gyurta, had stood at 57.11 (26.40) to Stanislav Lakhtyukhov (RUS) since the world cup in Berlin last month. The Russian missed the final cut this morning courtesy of the competitive four-per-nation entry/two go through to finals format and the number of lanes in the pool. Lakhtyukhov clocked 58.05 for 9th, with three of his teammates ahead of him.
The last Euro mark set in textile was 57.67 by Oleg Lisogor (UKR), one of only two Europeans to crack 58sec before February 2008. At dawn today, 12 had cracked 58. After heats in Istanbul, the tally is 17. A snapshot of life in shiny suits.
Lakhtyukhov was not the only Russian to fall foul of the format at an event that leaves no room for mucking about in heats. World record holder (1:46.11) Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) clocked a decent 1:50.37 in morning heats of the 200m back - to no avail. Ahead of him were Russian teammates Evgeny Aleshin, 30 and on 1:49.66, and Stanislav Donets, 26 and on 1:50.35.
But the prize for longevity in a bodysock goes to home hero Derya Buyuncu, 33 and better than ever (at least in a suit): for fourth through to the final he clocked 1:51.08, which compares to a best of 1:53.96 set at world s/c champs in April last year, before which his textile best was 1:55.31, clocked when he was 28.
By February last year, five Europeans had cracked 1:52 over 200m backstroke s/c. After Istanbul heats, the tally stands at 19, with 2 inside 1:48 and 6 inside 1:50.
In the 100m free for women, Inge Dekker (NED) set a championship record of 51.85 ahead of teammate Ranomi Kromowidjojo, on 52.41, locking the third woman and third Dutch sprint home, Femke Heemskerk, on 52.68, out of the final. The same fate awaited world 100m 'fly champion Sarah Sjoestrom (SWE), who clocked 53.22 only to find two Swedish teammates, Josefin Lillehage and Claire Hedenskog ahead of her.
