As the Olympic Games loom ever closer, Europe’s best swimmers gather in London on one of the final stepping stones to Rio de Janeiro.
When the European Championships start today at the London Aquatics Centre, which staged the swimming events at the 2012 Olympics, there will be just 82 days before the Games start in Brazil.
Given the proximity, few who are competing in Rio will have rested before the London meet, but are instead in heavy training, eyes planted firmly on what lies ahead in August. Two years ago in Berlin, Great Britain topped the medal table with a haul of 24.
Prominent was 19-year-old Adam Peaty, a fortnight after beating Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh to second in the 100m breaststroke at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Peaty was a stand-out in Berlin, winning four gold medals and setting a world record in the 50m breaststroke, albeit not ratified due to an administrative error.
Olympic 50m freestyle champion Florent Manaudou also made four visits to the top of the podium, while Sweden’s Sarah Sjoestroem claimed three golds.
All three have had a stunning couple of years, but for Peaty the summer of 2014 was when he made a deafening entrance onto the international stage.
He went on to obliterate Van der Burgh’s 100m world record last year in London before three gold medals at the World Championships in Kazan, where he and the South African went toe to toe like prize fighters, trading 50m world records as boxers trade blows.
Now favourite for Olympic gold, Peaty has come a long way. “It’s only two years but I’m going to Europeans now in a completely different mindset, a completely different athlete,” he said.
“I’m a lot more confident about where I’m going and what I’ve done to get me this far so I am looking forward to swimming this meet and I’m not really focusing on medals or times, just on my process and my weak areas.
“Me and Mel (coach Mel Marshall) have already got a thing in place to hopefully just race, gladiator-style. We are all going to be pretty tired but that doesn’t mean we are going to hand the medals over, we are going to put up a good fight and see what we get. I love competing so I’ll get a little bit more energy out of myself and see what happens.”
The last time Peaty competed at the Aquatics Centre he became the first man to go under 58 seconds for the 100m breaststroke, his time of 57.92 seconds taking 0.54secs off Van der Burgh’s mark in the same pool in 2012.
The British Olympic team is competing in London, meaning a European debut for double world freestyle champion James Guy.
Manaudou is joined on the French team by Fabien Gilot, Jeremy Stravius and Mehdy Metella, the four making up the squad that won the 4x100m freestyle world title in 2015.
Gregorio Paltrinieri, winner of the 1500m freestyle in Kazan in the mysterious absence of Sun Yang, spearheads the Italian men along with Gabriele Detti.
Hungary’s Laszlo Cseh looks to add to his 12 European titles in the butterfly and individual medley events. Sjoestroem will look to add to her seven medals from Berlin ahead of a much-anticipated Olympics for the Swede after five world medals, including two golds, in Kazan.
Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu, nicknamed the Iron Lady because of her gruelling multi-event schedule, has a reduced programme in London, her eyes set on claiming her first Olympic medals.
Six-time European champion Federica Pellegrini, of Italy, competes ahead of her fourth Olympics and Lithuania’s Ruta Mielutyte prepares for her Olympic 100m breaststroke defence.
Ranomi Kromowidjojo has four Olympic medals, including three golds, but just two European trips to the podium, and the Dutchwoman will also feature in London.
Former Olympic champ Ervin wins 50m freestyle
In Charlotte, Anthony Ervin, an Olympic champion in 2000 as a teen at Sydney, won the men’s 50m freestyle at the US Pro Swim Series meet on Saturday. The 34-year-old American, who won the world 50m and 100m freestyle titles in 2001 at Fukuoka, captured the Charlotte title in 21.98 seconds just three weeks after starting workouts at the same pool.
“We’ve been doing a lot of technique work the last few weeks as well as trying to get that start down,” Ervin said. “I think it has been paying off. I’m not only hopeful, I’m enthusiastic about the next few weeks.”
Canada’s Santo Condorelli, who would later win the men’s 50 butterfly in 23.82, was second to Ervin in 22.15 with American Josh Schneider third in 22.16.
Other non-US winners included Jonathan Gomez of Colombia in the men’s 200 fly in 1:57.36, Canada’s Chantal Van Landeghem in the women’s 50 free in 24.43, Canada’s Kylie Masse in the women’s 100 back in 59.98 and Russian-born Serbian Arkady Vyatchanin in the men’s 100m back in 54.80. Americans Conor Dwyer, Leah Smith, Cody Miller and Cammile Adams each won their second titles of the meet.
Dwyer won the men’s 400m freestyle in 3:47.37 after taking the 200m freestyle title on Friday. Leah Smith won the women’s 400m to claim the same double, Adams took the women’s 200m fly after a 400m individual medley win and Miller completed a men’s breaststroke sweep by taking the 200m in 2:12.22.
British 19-year-old swimmer Adam Peaty.
