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First to fall

Kammerling breaks butterfly world record at Euros

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Posted: Tuesday July 27, 1999 02:42 PM

Kammerling: "I didn't expect to break the world record again because in two races yesterday I didn't go very fast or feel very good." AP

ISTANBUL, Turky (AP) -- Sweden's Anna-Karin Kammerling lived up to her reputation as the women's fastest swimmer in the butterfly Tuesday by setting a new world and European record in 50-meters with a time of 26.29 seconds.

Johanna Sjoberg of Sweden was second in 26.93 and Chantal root of the Netherlands was third with 27.41.

A native of Sundsvall, Sweden, the 19-year-old Kammerling broke her own record of 26.39 set on July 1 at the Swedish national championships in Halmstad.

“I didn't expect to break the world record again because in two races yesterday I didn't go very fast or feel very good,” Kammerling said.

Kammerling dominated the race straight from the blocks, not once giving up her lead.

It was the first world record to be broken at the 24th biennial Euros, being held under scorching conditions in Istanbul's Atakoy Olympic pool on the European side of this city spanning two continents.

In the men's 50-meter butterfly, Pieter Van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands nearly set a world record of his own, clocking the world's third all-best time of 23.89. He was followed by Europe's number two ranked Milos Milosevic in 24.17, while Britain's Mark Foster and Sweden's Lars Frolander each received a bronze for their time of 24.39.

“The time wasn't very good, but the time wasn't very important to me, though the place was,” Hoogenband said.

Hoogenband, 21, was less than one-hundreth of a second slower than his semifinal time of 23.88.

He later took away Alexander Popov's championship record by swimming a blazingly fast 48.70 in the semifinals of the 100 meter freestyle, just one day after he swam the world's all-time fastest leg in the 100-meter relay in 47.31. Popov holds both the world and European record of 48.21 set in 1994.

Holland's 100-meter relay win also broke a golden streak held by Popov, who chased Hoogenband on the last leg. It was Popov's first silver medal in the Euros.

Coupled with Hoogenband's performance in the semis, the Dutchman has become Popov's biggest threat as he tries for a fifth consecutive gold in Wednesday's 100-meter freestyle final.

In the 100-meter backstroke, European champion Stev Theloke of Germany handily took his race in a time of 55.16, followed by Gordan Kozulj of Croatia in 55.84. Israel's Eithan Urbach, third in 55.87, gave his country its second ever European Championship medal. He had garnered a silver in the same event during the Seville, Spain, championships two years ago.

“After the prelims and the semifinal I felt so good that I thought I could swim a European record in the final, so I'm rather disappointed,” Theloke said.

Italy's Domenico Fioravanti won the men's 100-meter breaststroke in a time of 1:01.34, followed by Germany's Mark Warnecke in 1:01.97 and Stephan Perrot of France in 1:02.08.

It was a new French national record in the event, and Perrot said he was looking forward to Wednesday's heat and semifinals in the 200-meter breaststroke.

“That was my best time and a new national record,” Perrot said. “The new semifinal format made it harder tonight and I think my best swim was my first one, but I now look forward to the 200 as it is my best event.”

In the women's 200-meter backstroke, French champion Roxanna Maracineanu easily won in 2:11.94, with Germany's Cathleen Rund second in 2:13.33 and Yulia Fomenko of Russia each receiving a silver medal for their time of 2:13.33.

Germany won the women's 200-meter relay in a time of 8:01.66, with Sweden second in 8:07.37 and Romania third in :07.75.

In the men's 10-meter platform synchronized diving, Jan Hempel and Heiko Meyer of Germany won with 320.46 points. Vladimir Timoshinin and Igor Loukashin of Russia were second with 318.39, while Britain's Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield finished third with 295.44

Wednesday's finals also include women's 100-meter breaststroke, freestyle and 1-meter springboard, and the men's 200-meter medley.

 

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