Final Pool Day at Swimming Euros Promises Battle for 2nd Place

09 Jul 2011
Imagen
Photography Sam Hynd

Photography Sam Hynd

ⒸChris Hyde
By IPC

Whilst the Ukrainians, who have dominated the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming European Championships, are the clear winners of the event. The battle for second place is far from over. On the seventh day of competition,Great Britain has 22 golds, Spain 21 and Russia 18 gold medals.

In total there were heats in 14 events on Friday morning, and the evening will see 26 medal events.

First up were brothers Oliver and Sam Hynd of Great Britain, who competed in the Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM8 heats. Younger brother Oliver Hynd (2:27.48) was just 0.27 seconds away from breaking his brother’s European record. He got the fastest time. Paralympic gold medalist Sam Hynd (2:30.51) came in second and France’s Charles Rozoy got the third fastest time.

The finals of the Men’s 100m Butterfly S10 promises to be an exciting race this evening. The Netherlands’ Mike van der Zanden (59.21), who took silver medal at the World Championships last year, got the fastest time. Russia’s Dmitry Grigorev (1:00.26) finished second and Great Britain’s James Hollis (1:00.53) got the third fastest time.

Great Britain’s world champion swimmer Jonathan Fox (1:04.76) and ten-time Paralympic gold medalist Matthew Walker (1:07.04) got first and second fastest time in the Men’s 100m Freestyle S7 heats. Greece’s Nikolaos Tsotras (1:08.29) came third.

Ukraine’s Maksym Veraksa (54.37), who has been dubbed the world’s fastest Paralympic swimmer, got the fastest time in the Men’s 100m Freestyle S12 heats. He was followed by Russia’s Alexandr Nevolin-Svetov (55.91) and Spain’s Omar Font (56.89).

In the Women’s 100m Freestyle S12 heats Russia’s Darya Stukalova (1:03.99) got the fastest time. She was followed by Germany’s teenage star Naomi Maike Schnittger (1:04.56) and Great Britain’s Hannah Russell (1:04.61). Russia’s world-record-holder and Paralympic gold medallist Oxana Savchenko (1:06.31) also qualified for the finals.

Ireland’s Darragh McDonald (1:14.11) swam the fastest time in the Men’s 100m Freestyle S6 heats. He was followed by Germany’s Sebastian Iwanow (1:14.47) and his teammate Swen Michaelis (1:14.83). Ukraine’s Yevheniy Bohodayko (1:16.61), who has won seven gold medals so far at the European championships, also qualified for the event.

Great Britain’s Paralympic gold medalist Eleanor Simmonds (1:20.49) swam a strong race in the Women’s 100m Freestyle S6 heats. She was followed by the Netherlands’ Mirjam de Koning-Peper (1:22.99) and Ukraine’s Olena Fedota (1:23.36).

In the Men’s 50m Backstroke S2 heats Russia’s world champion swimmer Dmitry Kokarev (1:05.02), who has already won three gold medals at the European Championships, got the fastest qualifying time. He was followed by Greece’s Aristeidis Makrodimitris (1:06.43) and Great Britain’s James Anderson (1:07.50).

In the Women’s 200m Freestyle S5 heats Norway’s world champion Sarah Louise Rung (2:52.89) was supreme. Coming in second and third were Ukraine’s Natalia Prologaieva (3:04.98) and Spain’s Teresa Perales (3:07.77).

Belarus’ world champion swimmer, Dzmitry Salei (53.59, got the fastest heats time for the Men’s 100m Freestyle S13. Salei’s teammate Ihar Boki (54.58) got second fastest time, followed by the Ukraine’s Oleksii Fedyna (54.88).

Hungary’s world champion swimmer Tamas Sors (1:00.31) dominated the Men’s 100m Butterfly S9 heats. Ukraine’s Andriy Sirovatchenko (1:02.36) and Italy’s Federico Morlacchi (1:02.67) came a close second and third.

In the Women’s 100m Butterfly S9, Spain’s Serai Gascon (1:13.00), who won silver in the event at the world championships last year, got the fastest qualifying time. Hot on her heels were Great Britain’s Stephanie Millward (1:13.59) and Ireland’s Ellen Keane (1:14.46).

The morning ended with the Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay 34pt. Great Britain (4:30.50), Russia (4:32.60) and Ukraine (4:35.39) got the fastest three qualifying times.