Teen Dreesens Drives Verschuren To OG
Craig Lord
Apr 14, 2012

On the third day at the SwimCup Eindhoven, Sebastiaan Verschuren, of Amsterdam, clocked 1:47.38 to het 0.04sec inside the cut for the London 2012 Olympic Games 0.23sec ahead of one to watch for in the future, Dion Dreesens, 19 this year and inside the cut for the European Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, next month. 

The session also witnessed a 24.14 from Ranomi Kromowidjojo in the freestyle dash, the time just 0.01sec away from the best time ever in textile shared by Dutch Olympic champion of 2000 and 2004 Inge De Bruijn and Fran Halsall, of Britain, the latter the swiftest ever beyond the world of bodysuits. 

Dreesens, who set a best time of 1:48.50 in heats inside the 1:50.36 at which he entered Olympic year, had the edge on Verschuren until the last 50m in a stroke-for-stroke battle. The splits:

  • 25.25, 52.47, 1:19.93, 1:47.38 Verschuren
  • 25.18, 52.45, 1:19.85, 1:47.61 Dreesens

Verschuren's textile best is 1:46.53, while the Dutch senior record is held by 2000 Olympic champion Pieter Van Den Hoogenband (meet director and a man after whom the Eindhoven pool is named) in 1:44.89, the time in which he claimed the 2002 European crown in Berlin.

Joeri Verlinden was the second Amsterdam swimmer to qualify for London 2012, a 52.07 victory in the 100m butterfly 0.13sec inside target time. The women's final went to 2009 world champion and record holder Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) in 58.08. In heats, Inge Dekker swam a 58.22, 0.1sec inside the London 2012 cut.

Wendy van der Zanden, of Eiffel PSV, took the 200m free for women in 2:00.44 in a tight finish with clubmates Rieneke Terink and Andrea Kneppers, on 2:00.60 and 2:00.62.

In semis of the freestyle dash, Kromowidjojo followed up on that sizzler of a world-leading 52.75 in the 100m yesterday with a 24.14 to claim centre stage for the final, Marleen Veldhuis on 24.33. 

The world rankings for 2012 are led by Halsall, whose 24.13 last month in London matchedDe Bruijn's world-record breaking semi at Sydney 2000.

The men's dash will be led by Brazil's Bruno Fratus, on 22.00 today, as the meet concludes tomorrow.