'Fantastic Friday' Gets Off to Quiet Start in Berlin

The sixth day of competition at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships, which many are terming “Fantastic Friday” after yesterday’s record breaking day, got off to quiet start with the conclusion of the heats.

In total there were heats in 14 events on Friday, no real shocks and just one European record broken.

First up was the Men’s 100m Backstroke S12 heats. Russia’s Alexandr Nevolin-Svetov (1:02.48) excelled, qualifying with the fastest time. The world’s fastest Paralympic swimmer Maksym Veraksa (1:03.49) of Ukraine shone again, qualifying second and Russia’s Roman Makarov (1:03.70) got the third fastest qualifying time.

The finals for the Men’s 100m Freestyle S8 promises to be a nail-bitingly close race. In the heats there was 0.14 seconds separating the fastest two qualifiers: Netherlands’s Maurice Deelen (58.95) and Russia’s Konstantin Lisenkov (1:00.09). Lisenkov’s teammate Denis Tarasov (1:01.04) got the third fastest qualifying time.

Great Britain’s Heather Frederiksen (1:07.58) will be hopeful of landing her third gold tonight after qualifying quickest in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S8. Germany’s Stephanie Weinberg (1:13.74) and Britain’s Emma Hollis (1:13.30) promise a strong fight for second place after qualifying within 0.44 seconds of each other.

Likewise the Women’s 50m Butterfly S6 heats promises to be a closely fought race between Ukraine’s Oksana Khrul (39.12) and Israel’s Inbal Ganapol Shwartz (39.53). In the morning heats Russia’s Olena Fedota (41.51) finished third.

In the Men’s 150m Individual Medley SM4 heats, the Czech Republic’s Jan Povysil (2:43.31) powered ahead with the fastest qualifying time, followed by Netherlands’ Michael Schoenmaker (2:49.62) and Spain’s Xavier Torres (2:53.48).

Russia’s Ruslan Sadvakasov (33.37) and Croatia’s Mihovil Spanja (33.53) will go head-to-head tonight after qualifying with the two fastest times in the Men’s 50m Butterfly S7.

Great Britain’s Matthew Walker (34.00) was third fastest in this morning’s heats.

Russia also dominated the Men’s 100m Freestyle S11 heats with Russia’s Rustam Nurmurkhametov (1:02.62) finishing first. He was followed by Poland’s Grzegorz Polkowski (1:03.61) and Ukraine’s Viktor Smyrnov (1:04.29).

Great Britain’s Stephanie Millward (1:10.58) finished first in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S9 heats just outside of the European record (1:10.20). Her teammates Louise Watkin (1:16.68) and Lauren Steadman (1:17.16) finished second and third respectively.

In the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB14 heats Great Britain’s Daniel Pepper (1:11.66) got the fastest time with his teammate Scott Quinn (1:15.04) qualifying third. Marc Evers (1:12.28) from the Netherlands came second.

In the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB14 heats Spain’s Michelle Alonso Morales (1:17.43) just outside the world record (1:17.00). Finishing second was Netherlands’ Magda Toeters (1:20.75) and Belgium’s Tamara Medarts (1:24.45)

Every millisecond will count tonight in the Men’s 100m Backstroke S10 after Belgium’s Sven Decasesstecker (1:04.21), Estonia’s Kardo Ploomipuu (1:04.22) and Latvia’s Janis Plotinieks (1:04.96) qualified within 0.76 seconds of each other in the morning heats.

Russia’s Nina Ryabova (1:13.01) set a new European record in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S10. She was followed by Great Britain’s Emma Cattle (1:13.06) and Netherland’s Marije Oosterhuis (1:13.84).

In the Men’s 100m Freestyle S5 heats Spain’s Sebastian Rodriguez (1:18.43) got the fastest time. Second place went to Great Britain’s Anthony Stephens (1:19.21), followed by France’s Hayri Simsek (1:20.16).

Norway’s Sarah Louise Rung (1:22.54), who had a record breaking day yesterday qualified quickest in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S5. Second was Ukraine’s Natalia Prologaieva (1:24.29) and third Spain’s Teresa Perales (1:24.90).