European Championships, Budapest, day 2 heats:
Blue skies over Margaret Island, a catch up with a smiley Hannah Miley. How better to start the day. The 400m medley champion, was, of course, in great spirits and looking forward to further battles later in the week. Some very fine swimming on display on day 1 - and today has some fine clashes in store: finals for men in the 50m butterfly, 100m backstroke, 100m breaststroke; finals for women in the 50m butterfly and 200m backstroke.
In the heats, the class act caught the imagination and spirit of the home crowd: triple Olympic champion and defending Euro title holder for a second successive championships, Laszlo Cseh looked supreme on 1:58.76 in the 200m medley.
Summaries:
Men 200m freestyle
World champion Paul Biedermann (GER) clocked 1:48.30 at a cruise to qualify in fifth place for a final that will feature two Russians in the middle lanes. First through this morning were Daniil Izotov, on 1:47.33; Sebastiaan Verschuren (NED), on 1:47.52; and Nikita Lobintsev, on 1:48.05; and Robbie Renwick (GBR), on 1:48.15, those four all in the fifth heat, before the world record holder touched first in the last prelim. Commonwealth champion David Carry (GBR) and former European 400m free champion Emiliano Brembilla (ITA) were among those who missed out, the Scot courtesy of the two per nation rule. The cut: 1:50.38. The top casualty of the 2-per-nation rule was Alex Sukhorukov, on 1:48.93, while Mikhail Polishchuk was the 4th Russian home, on 1:50.66 - a good chance of Russia adding the 4x200m crown to the 4x100m free title won yesterday.
Women 100m breaststroke
Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN) led the way in 1:07.78, with Russian favourite Yulia Efimova on 1:07.96. Joline Hoestman (SWE) was the first of six women inside 1:09 through to semis. Among those outside the 1:10.41 top 16 cut were 2004 champion Svetlana Bondarenko (UKR), on 1:10.59 but through to semis courtesy of the two per nation rule; world 200m champion Nadja Higl (SRB), 22nd on 1:10.97; and Achieng Ajulu-Bushell (GBR, and not Rebecca as the programme and start list states, mysteriously), 28th on 1:11.80 at a time of taking important school exams that have proved something of a distraction.
Men 200m medley
Laszlo Cseh (HUN) has confined himself to racing medley at these home championships, his coach having declared that enough for the 25-year-old to focus on mid-Olympic cycle. He was a class apart this morning, more than a body length up on next best at half-way of the final heat, and ploughed on to a dominant 1:58.76 progression. In the prelim before Cseh's, Markus Rogan (AUT) was the first to break 2min, on 1:59.83, and the only other man to do so this morning as it turned out. Third through was Vytautas Janusaitis (LTU), on 2:00.03. Peter Nagy (HUN) was the only man among the best 16 to miss going further courtesy of the two-per-nation rule. The cut: 2:02.75.
Women 100m free
Aleksandra Herasimenia (BLR) went through fastest in 54.13, ahead of the two fastest splitters in the 4x100m relay last night, Femke Heemskerk (NED), on 54.43, and Francesca Halsall (GBR), on 54.54. Nine qualifiers got below 55sec. Missing from the event this time round are Olympic and world champion Britta Steffen, whose season never got uderway courtesy of commitments beyond the pool and then illness, and Ranomi Kromowidjojo (NED), faster in the world this year but recovering from a bout of meningitis.
Daniela Samulski, on 55.09, was the fastest swimmer not to go through under the two-per-nation rule, Daniel Schreiber and Silke Lippok the two best Germans inside the top 16 cut of 55.73. Eszter Dara (HUN) was the only other swimmer in the top 16 who cannot progress because two of her teammates were faster. Herasimenia tested positive for norandrosterone and Noretiocholanolone, metabolites of nandrolone, in out-of-competition testing on March 26, 2003 in Minsk, Belarus, and served a suspension.
Men 1,500m freestyle
Fastest through for the final was Samuel Pizzetti (ITA), 15:03.32, followed by Pal Joensen (FAR), on 15:04.05, Sebastien Rouault (FRA), 15:06.70. The cut for a final that will see Daniel Gyurta's baby bro Gergely, alongside gold-medal prospects Federico Colbertaldo (ITA) and 2005 world champion and European record holder Mateusz Sawymowicz (POL), in the mix: 15:14.38. Just outside that cut was one of the potential medallists, Mads Glaesner (DEN).
