European Championships, Budapest, day 3 heats
The whisper was doing the rounds as the sun cracked the flags on Margaret Island that Daniel Gyurta, world champ, is in shape to take down a shiny world record. In 2:10.70 in 200m breaststroke heats, he was a class apart - that homecoming drive will be all important to his ambitions on the clock either today in semis or tomorrow in the final, assuming no slips. His teammates Evelyn Verraszto and Katinka Hosszu led the way in the 200IM heats.
A sorrowful reminder that doping still taints swimming was to be found this morning in the form of Ioannis Dymonakos, the Greek back from a two-year doping ban served in 2008. He raced into the semis of the 200m 'fly two years after having won the crown and then been stripped of it after being shamed days before Beijing 2008.
Today's finals: the men's 200m and 1,500m free and 200m medley - with the prospect of home gold for Laszlo Cseh; the women's 100m free and 100m breaststroke.
Morning summaries
Men 200m butterfly
Nikolay Skvotsov (RUS) and 2005 world champion Pawel Korzeniowski (POL) had the 1:58.23sec lead time of Marcin Cieslak (POL), 18, in their sights as they entered the last heat, and knew that Dinko Jukic (AUT) had also broken 1:59, on 1:58.52. They knew too that Duarte Mourao, of Portugal was on a 1:58.74, and that Ioannis Dymonakos (GRE) had clocked 1:58.80 and that Nicolo Beni (ITA) had gone 1:58.93. With all that calculation taken into account, they knew that cruise control was enough, and stroke for stroke Skvortsov and Korzeniowski raced towards a clock that confirmed them as 6th and equal 7th best through to semis, on 1:59.01 and 1:59.06 respectively.
Dymonakos was deprived of the 2008 title, which was handed to Korzeniowski, after he tested positive for a banned substance shortly before the 2008 Olympic Games. The fly swimmer got caught out on March 6 in domestic out-of-competition test: methyltrienolone - described by experts as "highly toxic oral steroid" - was the choice of deception and Drymonakos served two years out, returning in late spring this year, May 14 the date when the two years was up.
In the midst of a Greek steroid scandal, the entire national weightlifting team were among those along with Drymonakos and others to be sent home a few days before the Beijing Games began. Their is forgiveness under the WADA Code but let us not forget that Drymonakos tried to cheat his way to success in a race pool he has now felt comfortable enough to return to and face the folk he tried to cheat.
Women 200m medley
Home hopes Evelyn Verraszto and Katinka Hosszu sailed through at the helm of the short medley on 2:11.94 and 2:12.30, with the biggest threat to the Hungarians tucked in behind them, Camille Muffat on 2:12.75. Next through Mireia Belmonte (ESP) and 400m champion here on day 1, Hannah Miley (GBR), on 2:12.87 and 2:13.49. They all looked at ease. Zsuzsanna Jakabos, bronze medallist in the 400m, was the first casualty of the day as far as the two-per-nation rule goes, the third Hungarian home on 2:14.33. She was one of three swimmers not to progress because two teammates were faster. The cut for semis, 19th place in 2:18.35.
Men 200 breaststroke
Hungarian hearts leapt again when Daniel Gyurta, world champion last year and at 15 in 2004 an Olympic silver medallist, stepped up this blocks having just watched teammate Molnar crack out 2:12.56. Gyurta looked supreme, every stroke meant, strong, pull and kick symbiotic in the surge to a dominant 2:10.70 lead qualifier. Next through Laurent Carnol (LUX), on 2:12.29 and based at Loughborough University in Britain, Edoardo Giorgetti (ITA) on 2:12.33, Alex Dale Oen (NOR), 100m champion, on 2:12.56. Richard Bodor was third Hungarian home, on 2:14.24 and will not progress. The cut: 2:14.78.
Women 100m backstroke
The morning after the evening of her 200m triumph, Elizabeth Simmonds (GBR) was in the hunt again, leading the way to semis on 1:00.77 ahead of Daniela Samulski (GER), on 1:01.05 in the same prelim. Simmonds and Samulski had a feel for the pace they needed, world champion Gemma Spofforth (GBR) having cruised to a 1:01.13 effort in the prelim just before them. Next through were Spaniards Marce Da Rocha, racing alongside the two leaders in the last heat, and Mercedes Peris, taking the fourth heat, on 1:01.24 and 1:01.45 respectively. The cut: 1:02.60.
Men 50m backstroke
Guv Barnea (ISR) led the way on 25.11, with Camille Lacourt (FRA) on 25.17 the morning after wowing the swimming world with a 52.11 European record for the 100m crown. Next through in the dash was Stefan Pizzamiglio (ITA), on 25.31. Among qualifiers is world champion and record holder Liam Tancock (GBR) in 10th on 25.60, while Stanislav Donets (RUS), on 25.61, will not progress courtesy of the two-per-nation rule. The cut: 25.83, locking out Aschwin Wildeboer (ESP), a 100m world record setter last year, on 25.64.
Women 800m freestyle
The third morning of action gave us our first swimming glimpse of Federica Pellegrini (ITA) honouring her pledge to the late Alberto Castagnetti to add the 800m free to her international repertoire. The heats produced a workmanlike 8:32.94. The italian had company throughout, in the form of Ophelie Etienne (FRA), on 8:33.69 at the end.
The world champion in Rome, Lotte Friis (DEN) clocked 8:29.93 as Grainne Murphy (IRL) left nothing to chance, taking the win in 8:28.91 - and lane 4 as it turned out. In the final, she and a field that includes the Olympic 200m champion of 2008 and world 200m and 400m champion of 2009, will meet the Olympic 400m and 800m champion of 2008, Rebecca Adlington (GBR), locked off the 800m podium in Rome last year when she refused to go one poly panel further than she had to, and on 8:30.05 this morning. Camelia Potec (ROU), Olympic 200m champion of 2004 and at her swansong meet, was not far adrift, on 8:33.08. The cut: 8:38.54.
In Italian circles, the talk is of Pellegrini aiming for a sub 8:20 swim. The championship record stands at 8:19.29 to the Italian's arch-rival, Laure Manaudou (FRA), from here in Budapest back in 2006, the year in which the French star got past Janet Evans on the clock over 400m free, first at Tours and then again here at the Alfred Hajos pool.
The shiny suits are said to have played a lesser role than they did in sprint events and there seems to be little doubt about that but worth noting that tactics have changed, perhaps to suit circumstance: in Rome last summer it took 8:27.90 to make a final that went with six Europeans ranged from 8:20.53 to 8:26.58.
