A relatively calm morning at the Euro s/c champs in Istanbul as the continent flows through the penultimate day of shiny suit swimming before that January 1, 2010 date with a textile future.
Even in calmness, sliding and gliding to records is customary in this bargain-basement season: 51.97 had been the meet record in the 100m medley, held by a man who has won the last 9 titles, Peter Mankoc (CRO). To get that 10th crown, he will need to be swifter than ever, for the champs standard now stands to Sergey Fesikov (RUS), on 51.35 in heats. Mankoc was warming up back on 52.88. That was the exact time in which Mankoc won the last textile title, in 2007. Fesikov took bronze in 54.12 on that occasion, an effort that would have finished 21st in heats in Istanbul this morning.
After the session, LEN issued an official list of records set so far in Istanbul and - bravo! - the European league has recorded the 4x50m relays as world best times, not world records, as is the case. Many thanks to the messenger of that information from Istanbul. Now for Omega to create a WB code instead of that erroneous WR on the official result sheet.
Straight after Fesikov's latest gain in his suit, the second CR of the morning saw Jeanette Ottesen (DEN) shave 0.04sec off her own 100m 'fly mark, to float through to semis at the helm on 56.66, Ingvild Snildal (NOR) on 56.87 and queen of day two in Istanbul, Inge Dekker (NED), third through on 56.90, 0.01sec ahead of world l/c champion, teenager Sarah Sjoestrom (SWE). Dekker won the last textile title, in 2007, on 56.82. Silver on that occasion would have made it to the Istanbul final in 8th, while the Debrecen 2007 bronze would have finished 15th this morning in Istanbul.
The 100m breaststroke heats witnessed upset, with the DQ of one of the title favourites and European record holder, Rikka Moeller Pedersen (DEN). Moniek Nijhuis (NED) led the pack on 1:05.35, ahead of Jennie Johannsson (SWE), on 1:05.43. The silver medal from Debrecen 2007, last outing at these champs in textile, would have finished 11th in Istanbul heats this morning.
A sprinkling of context and analysis of the finals will be delayed here on SwimNews: I'll be out warming up for Christmas, a haze of mulled wine perhaps the best medium through which to view the continuing damage being wrought to the all-time world rankings amid the ashes of swimming's historic thread, the link between past, present and future that delivers meaning to a beautiful sport about to be revived in January.
Omega Live Timing is the splendid tool by which the tale is told as events unfold at a time when the cost of covering the circus live is really not worth it.
