Laszlo Cseh (HUN) sliced 2.06sec off his own textile world record with a 3:57.27 in the 400m medley on the second evening of finals at the last European s/c championships at which non-textiles and bodysuits can be worn before a January 1, 2010 ban comes into force.
The Hungarian triple Olympic silver medallist of 2008 in textile, gained almost all of his advantage over former self in the first half of the race in Istanbul, 1.35sec of the progress down to the opening 'fly leg.
The splits compared:
- Cseh 2007: 25.44; 54.93; 1:24.97; 1:54.24; 2:28.61; 3:02.97; 3:31.99; 3:59.33
- Cseh 2009: 24.70; 53.58; 1:23.59; 1:52.36; 2:26.39; 3:01.11; 3:29.99; 3:57.27
Cseh's freestyle leg in 2007 and 2009 were practically identical, Istanbul 0.06sec faster. His effort was the 237th world mark of the shiny suits era (4x50m relay times are nor recognised as official world records, the European event the only international championship environment in which they are swum).
The silver went to the champion's teammate David Verrszto on 4:00.10, with Gal Nevo (ISR) third in 4:00.55.
Cseh's was the 147th European record of the year. The 146th went to the man who set the 145th: after a 22.80 in heats, Stanislav Donets (RUS) shaved a further 0.01sec off the standard to lead the way into the final. The 151st European record of the year fell to Donets in 22.76 in the final, 0.09sec ahead of Thomas Rupprath (GER), the last man to hold the world record in a textile suit.
The 148th European record of the year fell to Rike Moeller Pedersen (DEN), on 2:16.66. The previous holder, Yulia Efimova (RUS) held the standard at 2:19.08 in textile and is absent from Istanbul, back home preparing for textile 2010. The silver went to shiny suits world champion in Rome and out-of-the-blue award winner of 2009, Nadja Higl (SRB), on 2:17.52.
The 22-year-old from Serbia entered this year with a best time of 2:27.22 s/c and clocked 2:28.47 at world championships in April 2008. The 20-year-old champion in Istanbul had a previous season best of 2:23.55. At the dawn of the shiny suits era, Efimova's ER of 2:19.08 was second all-time a touch behind Qi Hui's 2003 blast at home in China. In the past six weeks alone, six women have floated past Efimova on the clock.
The 149th Euro mark of the year marked one of those moments that demonstrate the precarious nature of shiny suit celebrations: in heats and semis of the 100m breaststroke, Daniel Gyurta (HUN) had got the ER down to 56.79 but now it stands at 56.29 to another man - Robin Van Aggele (NED). The 25-year-old Dutchman had a previous season best of 58.03 and a textile best not much slower, of 58.88 from December 2007. Gyurta took silver in 56.72, with Igor Borysik (UKR) third in 56.97.
Ed Moses (USA) the last man to hold the world record in textile would have finished sixth equal in Istanbul with that 57.47 at which he held the global standard until this autumn world cup season. Now, a few short weeks later, he is 12th best performer ever with the 38th best performance ever. What a rush.
The 150th European record of the year fell to Ksenia Moskvina (RUS) in 56.36 in the 100m backstroke final, a previous holder, Sanja Jovanovic (CRO) second in 56.93. At the dawn of the shiny suits era 22 months ago, the European record stood at 57.75 to Illona Hlavackova (CZE). It was the second-best ever then. Now, it languishes at 21st, 15 of those efforts achieved in these past few weeks. Thrilling.
In semis of the 100m free, the champs record had been cut to 51.54 by Dutch sprinter Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED). In the final, her teammate Inge Dekker, who had already set a CR of 25.09 in the 50 fly semis, claimed a second CR for herself, and the crown, in 51.35, ahead of Kromowidjojo's 51.44. The bronze went to Jeannette Ottesen (DEN), in 52.18.
Dekker was back not long later to take the 50m fly crown in a third CR of the day for her, a 25.00 effort, but she did not get it all her own way: the gold medal and CR were shared by Dutch teammate Hinkelien Schreuder, with bronze to Ingvild Snildal (NOR) in 25.10.
The Dutch were not done yet: the 152nd European record of the year, announced as a world record (when no such thing exists) fell to the Dutch quartet of Dekker (23.53), Schreuder (22.81), Saskia de Jonge (23.88) and Kromowidjojo (23.03), in a 1:33.25 win in the 4x50m freestyle. The standard had stood to the Netherlands at 1:33.80 since last year. The European s/c winter showcase is the only international championship event in the world to stage 4x50m relays.
The first final of the session, the 800m free, went to Lotte Friis (DEN) in 8:08.02 ahead of Erika Vilaecija (ESP), while a rare occurrence completed the podium: Ophelie Cyrielle Etienne (FRA) was not in the fastest heat in evening finals, but swam to an 8:16.20 in the slower morning heats, bided her time and picked up the bronze.
A summary of the main action in Istanbul:
- Women 800m free
- 1. Lotte Friis (DEN) 8:08.02
- 2. Erika Villaecija (ESP) 8:13.93
- 3. Ophelie Cyrielle Etienne (FRA) 8:16.20
- Men 400m medley
- 1. Laszlo Cseh (HUN) 3:57.27wr
- 2. David Verraszto (HUN) 4:00.10
- 3. Gal Nevo (ISR) 4:00.55
- Women 200 breaststroke
- 1. Rikka Moeller Pedersen (DEN) 2:16.66er
- 2. Nadja Higle (SRB) 2:17.52
- 3. Joline Hoestman (SWE) 2:19.28
- Men 200m breaststroke
- 1. Robin Van Aggele (NED) 56.29er
- 2. Daniel Gyurta (HUN) 56.72
- 3. Igor Borysik (UKR) 56.97
- Women 100m free
- 1. Inge Dekker (NED) 51.35cr
- 2. Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED) 51.44
- 3. Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) 52.18
- Women 100m backstroke
- 1. Ksenia Moskvina (RUS) 56.36er
- 2. Sanja Jovanovic (CRO) 56.93
- 3. Aleksandra Herasimenia (BLR) 57.23
- Men 100m 'fly
- 1. Evgeny Korotyshkin (RUS) 48.93cr
- 2. Peter Mankoc (SLO) 49.65
- 3. Ivan Lendjer (SRB) 49.79
- Women 50m 'fly
- 1. Inge Dekker and Hinkelien Schreuder (NED) 25.00cr
- 3. Ingvild Snildal (NOR) 25.10
- Men 50m backstroke
- 1. Stanislav Donets (RUS) 22.76er
- 2. Thomas Rupprath (GER) 22.85
- 3. Aschwin Wildeboer (ESO) 23.07
- Women 4x50m free
- 1. NED 1:33.25er
- 2. SWE 1:35.46
- 3. GER 1:36.73
