European Championships, Budapest, day 6 finals:
Men 200m backstroke
Markus Rogan (AUT), the Olympic 200m back silver medallist in 2004, nearly pulled it off. Out in lane 1, he looked like a man on his way out, eighth at the first and second turns and 1.05sec down on Stanislav Donets (RUS), the Austrian then surged on the third length and by the last turn was just 0.24sec away from Donets.
For 30 metres on the way home it looked to all the world as though Rogan would retain the crown he won in 2008 four years after his 2004 win as he prepared for Olympic success. Donets had other ideas, however, and held off the challenger he was unaware of out on the edge, 1:57.18 to 1:57.31, Benjamin Stasiulis (FRA) completing the podium in a thrilling final, just 0.06sec from Rogan as the only man in the field who covered the last length in under 30sec (29.95).
The race matched the tightest podium finish in the history of the event, Rogan having been involved in the other medal-battle that was divided by 0.19sec: in 2002 Gordan Kozulj (CRO) claimed the crown 0.13sec ahead of the Austrian, who beat a second Croatian, Marko Strahija by 0.06sec. History repeats, but not for Rogan this time, Donets depriving him of the chance to match a Russian record: Vladimir Selkov is the only man to have ever won the crown three times.
Donets said: "I had a strenuous programme here with the three back events and I'm quite tired now. I'm just glad to have found enough to win the title."
Rogan said: "The race was so close that I could well have been fourth. I'm not at all disappointed even if I didn't get to win the title." It was the Austrian's fifth time os asking in the Euro l/c 200m back final, 2006 here in Budapest the only championship year since 2002 in which he did not make the podium, finishing fourth on that occasion.
History unfolding:
Effect on race on all-time top 10: 0
Euro podiums:
- 2010: 1:57.18 - 1:57.37
- 2008: 1:55.85 - 1:57.43
- 2006: 1:55.44 - 1:57.83
Euro finals:
- 2010: 1:57.18 - 2:00.05
- 2008: 1:55.85 - 2:00.66
- 2006: 1:55.44 - 2:01.05
- Most Euro wins: Vladimir Selkov (RUS) 3
- Most Titles/Nation: RUS, 5
- Tightest Podium: 2002 and 2010 - gold to bronze - 0.19sec
From the archive: Russians have won the bulk of titles, 9, claimed since the event was introduced in Leipzig in 1962, and it was the Soviet Union that produced one of the tightest of domestic rivalries over 200m backstroke. In 1983, 1985 and 1987, the crown swayed from Sergiy Zabolotnov and Igor Polianski and back to Zabolotnov. Their rivalry led to both men holding the world record, while Zabolotnov cracked the European mark three times and Poliasnki once (with a world record that lasted 6 years). In all three years when one of the other Russian took gold, the bronze went to East Germany's Frank Baltrusch. And it was from East German that the greatest male backstroke swimmer in history hailed: Roland Matthes claimed the 1970 and 1974 European 100m and 200m crowns in the midst of a career that saw him win both Olympic titles in 1968 and 1972 and set 16 world backstroke records, 9 over 200m.
Records
Shiny suit era
- WR: 1:51.92 Aaron Peirsol (USA) Jul 2009
- ER: 1:54.75 Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) Jul 2009
February 1 2008
- WR: 1:54.32 Ryan Lochte (USA) Mar 2007
- ER: 1:55.44 Arkady Vyatchanin (RUS) Jul 2006
That 2006 effort by Vyatchanin stands out all the more in the light of the textile levelling, on a stroke in which many men chose to wear pants only in the shiny era.
