Four places in the final, some personal bests and a Belgian record: that is the balance of the Belgian delegation after the European Swimming Championships in Rome. Is there light at the end of the tunnel for Belgian swimming? Sporza commentator Stef Wijnants takes stock of the European Championship and also cannot ignore the phenomenon David Popovici.
“Let me start by saying that the level of this European Championship was a lot lower than the previous editions,” says Stef Wijnants.
“The times to reach the semi-finals were less sharp. It has already been a very busy summer of swimming, with many tournaments in a short time: World Swimming Championships, Commonwealth Games, European Youth Championships and now also the European Championship.”
“In swimming you normally peak once or twice a year, now you had a long period with 4 tournaments very close together. That has ensured that you can now survive the series even with less fast chronos.”
After this European Championship, there is again a bit of hope for Belgian swimming.
Is that also a comment on the performance of the Belgians? “We achieved 4 places in the final, swam a number of personal bests and there was also a Belgian record in the 1,500 meters. When you can swim your best time ever at a championship, you can always look back with satisfaction,” says Wijnants.
“After the Olympics, it was said that Belgian swimming had entered a deep black hole. A little light is now shining in it. It is not yet the sun, but there is again some hope.”
“Now, we are still a long way from medals at a European Championship. Belgium is certainly not ready to go to the Games in Paris with many swimmers. It will certainly not be a big team. Maybe Vanotterdijk, Dumont and Gaspard. That was more than a year ago.”
Vanotterdijk as a motor? “Talent and potential are there”
Belgium is still nowhere among the men, Stef Wijnants had to conclude. “No step has been taken there. Elias Meeus has swum a personal record in the 50m free, but with that he was only 44th out of 77 swimmers”, it sounds.
According to Stef Wijnants, Belgian swimming needs a few motors to push the sport forward. Could the young Roos Vanotterdijk be such a person?
“She is only 17 and recently became European junior champion in the 100m butterfly, but the swimmer she beat there already won gold in the 200 meters at this European Championship and also took a medal in the 100 meters. In a month’s time, therefore, already surpassed.”
“Vanotterdijk really peaked at that European Championship in the juniors. And she is certainly a swimmer who still has a margin. Predicting her future is very difficult, because so many factors play a role. But the talent and potential are certainly present. .”
Roos Vanotterdijk
“What Popovici has accomplished is unlikely”
Internationally, the barely 17-year-old David Popovici was the figure of this European Championship. Stef Wijnants is lyrical about the Romanian swimming phenomenon. “Nobody has ever swam faster and he is not even 18 yet! It is improbable what he has achieved. It cannot be estimated high enough,” says Wijnants.
Popovici swam to a world record in the 100m freestyle in the Italian capital. The royal number has been dominated in recent decades by behemoths such as Bernard, Dressel or Adrian, but Wijnants notices a change in style.
“Popovici really floats through the water. His technique is so pure, he has so much talent. And this is just the beginning. The seemingly unapproachable world record in the 200 meters is also not so far away anymore. He is really a rarely seen natural talent in the sprint.”
“He has not really surprised, because he has been coming for 2 years. During that period there was never a relapse, it always went better and better. Popovici will probably dive below 46 seconds. For comparison: the current Belgians swim 50 seconds over the 100 meters. The Romanian is really a phenomenon.”
