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Day 6 of the European championships showed that the Dutch swim in the width is significantly improved. Were the previous tournaments especially the clearance distances when the medals were achieved, today was the butterfly and breaststroke with a Dutch swimmers could enter the stage. At the 100m vlinderlslag grabbed Yuri with a fantastic race the silver in a new Dutch record in the 50m breaststroke and let Lennart Stekelenburg see that his fastest time in the semifinal was no outlier. By 27.51 there was for him the bronze.

Men's 100m butterfly: Joeri Verlinden silver!
In recent years, Joeri Verlinden many times already begun struggling with Evgeny Korotishkin. A few times he managed to defeat him, but always in big tournaments, he finished behind him. Thus Yuri at the World Championships last year in Rome is still disabled in the series, where Korotishkin just missed the finals, he swam in the semifinals the 9th time. Unfortunately, this time also knew Yuri Korotishkin not just to beat, though he came very close. After 50m 0.32 seconds was the difference between 23.91 and 24.23 of Evgeny Yuri. Then began a mighty race to catch up with Yuri and 10m before the end he seemed to draw the longest way to go. Unfortunately, he came to the finish is not perfect (Korotishkin also not) and partly because he had to settle for silver. Evgeny won in 51.73, Yuri took silver in 51.82. That meant a new Dutch record, because that was since the semi-finals at 51.96. The Pool Konrad Czerniak won the bronze (52.16), Lars Froelander, the Olympsich champion at this distance from Sydney 2000 (when he swam 52.00) was fourth in 52.24.

Men's 50m Breaststroke: Lennart Stekelenburg bronze!
Only 0.18 seconds separated Lennart in the series of elimination, with 27.96 as he qualified 11th for the semifinals. It then swam a new Dutch record with 27.44 and he qualified fastest for the final. A very nice performance and so there was good hope for a medal. That bronze was eventually allowed to not spoil the fun, because for the first time allowed Lennart at an international tournament on the podium. By 27.51 he was only a fraction slower than in the semifinals and only 0.13 behind the winner Italian Fabio Scozzoli. On the other hand tapped the winner of the gold in the 100m and silver in the 200m Alexander Dale Oen but behind Lennart 0.04 to!
For Robin was a very strong first 25m after just a medal, he was fifth with 27.66. Thus he closed his long track career off, because after the Short Course Championships in Eindhoven and the Short Course World Championships in Dubai Robin stops acting at the highest level. According to its own words, the perspective on the Olympic distances and thus on the London 2012 Olympic Games is not good enough for another 2 years full for wanting to go. So, if we ever get to the Olympics will see will be as a trainer, because he wants to focus now on.

Women 200m freestyle: Femke Heemskerk disappointing seventh
Prior to this tournament was the number of Femke, she also swam the 100m freestyle was a nice bonus (previous times it was mostly Marleen Veldhuis and Ronomi Kromowidjojo who went after the series). Femke then took a superb bronze medal in the 100m freestyle and so there was good hope for more on the 200m. The time series of 1.59.63 was not super spectacular, especially the last 50m of 30.90 on-Femke, but almost no one in the series shows the back of her tongue. Unfortunately, Femke in the semifinals not really impress, because after a daring opening of 56.94, her shots up to 31.25 times in the last 50m. A little flu / colds seemed to confuse its mission to throw themselves because they wanted no excuse in search. Fortunately, they still placed as 6th for the finals and had high hopes that a day of rest for a little extra care could. Unfortunately that is not enough and she was 1.58.46 with the final only 7e. Up to 100m (28.35 - 26.65 (58.00)) she was good in the race, but they would normally in the second part of her race is an acceleration knows to place the split times were now at 30.41 and 30.05. That sets a good Femke do a 29.5 and a 28-high down what had been enough for silver. Gold was there for the untouchable Federica Pellegrini with 1.55.45 after the Olympic and World title, the European title. Silver went to the now 16-year-old Silke Lippok. They won the last gold and 5x EJK still did a kamikaze opening of 56.19 just to bring home for Agnes Mutina from Hungary. Lippok swam 1.56.98 (last 50m in 31.05), Mutina 1.57.12 (29.20 last 50m).
Comment on twitter Femke: 'It's done for me ... 200 left a bad taste. Now relaxing and screaming for my team mates! "

50m backstroke Women: Hinkelien Schreuder expected fourth
Sometimes there are races which you may reasonably determine in advance who is 1, 2 and 3. Unfortunately for Hinkelien was the 50m backstroke final race around and her name was not among them. The 3 prizes were distributed by Aliaksandra Herasimenia (27.64 CR), Daniela Samulski (27.99) and Mercedes Peris Minguet (28.01). Hinkelien was 'the best of the rest' with 28.36, followed her after a gap of 25 hundredths of the number five Drakou Theodora (28.61).

Men's 200m backstroke: Nick Driebergen dissatisfied 6th
The final field of the 200m backstroke semifinals showed after the times of 1.57.84 to 1.59.36 and so there seemed to Nick Driebergen opportunities on stage. Before he would have to deal with such Stanislav Donets of Markus Rogan, two world champions at the backstroke. As Nick was always fairly conservative road and after 100m he was in 7th place with 57.62, a half seconds behind the 3rd time. In the 3rd 50m what he tried to accelerate and he pushed on to place 5 but where the top in the last 50m still talking about what it was when Nick at below. He laid down the last 50m in 30.80 and was eventually 6e. Stanislav Donets took the gold in 1.57.18, for Markus Rogan (after 100m still in 8th place) in 1.57.31 and Benjamin Stasiulis in 1.57.37.

Men's 4x200m freestyle: 6th Netherlands
Joost Reijns , Sebastiaan Verschuren , Bas van Velthoven and Stefan who have some time on their mission on this Olympic relay. They want in London with the 4x200m freestyle on stage. A very nice goal, but after this week is still a long way. With 7.16.87 knew they were in the finals still nice improvement (in the series, they still swam 7.19.45), but more than a 6th place did not give up. For a coin was necessary 9/7/70, the time the name came from the French team. 1.45.83 to start with swimmer Yannick Agnel, they had the teams of Russia (06.07.71) and Germany (with 1.45.47 as a start for swimmer Paul Biedermann) in 7.8.13 to leave.

The split times of the Dutch men of their times from behind the series:
Joost Reijns - 0.79 - 25.92 - 53.40 - 1:21.55 - 1:50.30 (series - 0.79 - 26.11 - 53.75 - 1:22.13 - 1:50.30)
Sebastiaan Verschuren - 0.17 - 24.56 - 51.74 - 1:18.81 - 1:46.36 (series - 0.25 - 24.53 - 51.46 - 1:19.17 - 1:47.30)
Bas van Velthoven - 0.20 - 24.71 - 52.30 - 1:21.02 - 1:50.26 (series - 0.26 - 25.18 - 53.27 - 1:22.14 - 1:50.95)
Stefan de Die - 0.16 - 24.86 - 52.91 - 1:21.43 - 1:49.95 (series - 0.20 - 24.77 - 52.58 - 1:21.07 - 1:50.90)

It is immediately noticeable that compared to world class players like Paul Biedermann, Yannick Agnel and Nikita Lobintsev the decay of the first to the second 100m for the Dutch men is enormous (except Verschuren ). For Joost is 53.40 to 56.90 (+3.50), Sebastian against 51.74 54.62 (+2.88), Bass 52.30 to 57.96 (+5.66!) And Stefan 52.91 to 57.04 (+4.13). Whether this is the inexperience in the swim of a relay at this level, the future will tell, there is certainly much to be gained for the men by their own race to swim (to Johan Kenkhuis but once quote) stick to their plan to keep.

One last highlight on day 6 of the European Championship was the name of Frederick Bousquet. Yesterday we had asked whether the title "Fastest man in the water 'would know to demand, today he did it without a doubt. In the semifinals of the 50m freestyle he set up an incredible 21.36 on the clock. This he improved the "textile world" of Cesar Cielo of 21.55 by almost 2 tenths! Joeri Beetz and put a nice comment on our previous article: Alexander Popov was just able to grab the ankles of Bousquet. Now it is a bit exaggerated but the difference between Popov (21.64) and Bousquet (21.36) at the finish would be about three-quarters meters .....