European Swimming Championships, Budapest, Day 3 Heats: Laszlo Cseh, 36, Sees Off Kos, Sos & Hollo In Magyar Medley Mash For Record 10th Campaign Since 2002

May 19 – Day 3 action from the pool at the European Swimming Championships witnessed the start of solo campaigns for big names and defenders such as Federica Pellegrini, Charlotte Bonnet, Jeremy Desplanches and Anton Chupkov but one name topped the lot when it came to records this morning: Laszlo Cseh.
When he took to the waters of the Duna Arena in the 200m medley and saw off much younger opponents to seal the first of Hungary’s two berths in the semis, Cseh set a record as the first swimmer ever to compete at 10 European Championships. His first race was back in 2002 in Berlin: he finished 11th in the 400m medley in 4:24.58.

Since then, he’s notched up 23 European long-course podiums, including 14 golds, 25 European s/c medals, including 19 golds, as well as 2 golds and 15 other medals at global level, all capped by four Olympic silvers and two bronzes. At Beijing 2008, he jested that he had won three silvers (which he had, and in fine style, too) behind “The Alien”, AKA Michael Phelps in a week when he topped Mark Spitz’s 7-gold record from Munich 1972 with am 8-gold tally that will be hellishly hard to match even with a flood of new events having been added to the program since Rio 2016.
Cseh, 36, progressed to the 200IM semis fourth fastest and top of the Hungarian challengers (see potted reports and qualifiers below). He was one of several swimmers familiar with gold to make it through to the next round.
Arno Kamminga Fires A 2:07 Morning After 58.1 Silver

If Cseh provided the big-10 line, the big swim of the morning came from Arno Kamminga, the Dutchman who had never come close to a big podium before but after silver in the 100m breaststroke behind Adam Peaty yesterday, rattled out a 2:07.39 in the 200m heats to rocket through to semis at the helm of pace as others kept their powder dry. A second career sub-2:07 and a place on the podium are calling Kamminga, who faces Anton Chupkov as defender. Kamminga’s time would have won the 2016 Olympic title but the pace has moved on since then and contenders have their eye on bursting the 2:06 dam sometime when.
Pellegrini, Bonnet, Desplanches, Cseh, Chupkov, Kolesnikov Cruise Into Semis
All big names sailed through the qualification test, including the four-into-two-per-nation rule, this morning, having won four straight European 200m titles in her career (2010, 2012, 2014 and 2016), Pellegrini bypassed the Glasgow 2018 200m in between her 7th and 8th World-Championships podiums over four lengths freestyle, those last two resulting in more gold for a golden treasury. In her absence, French challenger Charlotte Bonnet lifted the European crown, in 1:54.95, faster than any of Pellegrini’s wins. As Pellegrini has proven on many occasions, however: it’s down to the racing on the day. Both sailed through.
Other title holders from previous years setting out on the hunt this morning were World champion Anton Chupkov (2018) and Ross Murdoch (2016) in the 200m breaststroke; Jeremy Desplanches (2018), Andreas Vazaios (2016) and Laszlo Cseh (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014) in the 200m medley, his task to get the better of teammates Kos, Sos & Hollo for one of two Hungarian slots past heats accomplished in fine style; World champion Boglarka Kapas (2018) and Katinka Hosszu (2010, 2012) in the 200m butterfly (both passed the test of fending off two other Hungarians in heats); Kliment Kolesnikov (2018) and teammate Evgeny Rylov in the 100m backstroke a day after Kolesnikov’s 23.80 World-record blast in the dash (both through); and the Great Britain men began the defence of the 4x200m crown.
The quartet of Max Litchfield (1:47.70), Calum Jarvis (1:48.47), Matt Richards (1:46.69) and James Guy (1:45.72) punched a strong 7:08.58 ticket to lane 4 for the defence of the crown, Duncan Scott in the wings after his 200m medley semi. Italy and Switzerland were next through, on 7:10.26 and 7:11.15, before Russia clocked 7:09.68 in the next and last heat ahead of a 7:10.44 from France.
For many national also doubles as a qualifying event for the Covid-delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The venue: the Duna Arena, scene of the 2017 World Championships and the 2020 International Swimming League Bubble of Budapest. Milák is already on the team for Tokyo.
The swim meet stretches across seven days in traditional format of morning heats, from 10am local time each day, and evening finals, from 6pm local time each day.
Day 3 Heats: Men’s 200m Medley; Women’s 200m Butterfly; Men’s 100m Backstroke; Women’s 200m Freestyle; Men’s 200m Breaststroke; Men’s 4x200m Freestyle
Results / Livestream / LEN Championship website/ Tokyo 2020 Table of Target Times below qualifiers
Day 2 Coverage:
- Kliment Kolesnikov 23.80 Blasts Backstroke Dash Record Inside The Pace Of Jonty Skinner’s 1976 World-Best 50 Free Pace
- Adam Peaty Keeps His Crown As Arno Kamminga Gives Him Closest Euro Title Call In Record 4 Golds & James Wilby Makes It 1-3 GB Roar
- Tom Dean, James Guy, Abbie Wood and Freya Anderson Dominate 4×200 Mixed To Keep GBR On Track For A Medal In Every Relay
- Simona Quadarella 8:20 Triumph Makes Italian Ace The First To Keep European 800 Free Crown Since Last Of 8 GDR Golds In 1989
- Day 2 Heats
Qualifiers For Day 3 Finals
Men’s 1500m freestyle: heats were held yesterday …
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | R | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 2 | 4 | ![]() | ROMANCHUK Mykhaylo | 07 AUG 1996 | 0.74 | 14:52.07 | q | |||||||||
2 | 2 | 7 | ![]() | JOLY Damien | 04 JUN 1992 | 0.69 | 14:56.09 | 4.02 | q | ||||||||
3 | 2 | 6 | ![]() | ACERENZA Domenico | 19 JAN 1995 | 0.71 | 14:59.47 | 7.40 | q | ||||||||
4 | 3 | 2 | ![]() | KALMAR Akos | 11 JAN 2000 | 0.72 | 15:02.97 | 10.90 | q | ||||||||
5 | 3 | 3 | ![]() | JERVIS Daniel O | 09 JUN 1996 | 0.68 | 15:07.54 | 15.47 | q | ||||||||
6 | 2 | 5 | ![]() | CHRISTIANSEN Henrik | 09 OCT 1996 | 0.72 | 15:08.28 | 16.21 | q | ||||||||
7 | 3 | 4 | ![]() | PALTRINIERI Gregorio | 05 SEP 1994 | 0.76 | 15:08.84 | 16.77 | q | ||||||||
8 | 3 | 1 | ![]() | EGOROV Aleksandr | 19 AUG 2001 | 0.79 | 15:09.95 | 17.88 | q |
Men’s 4x200m Freestyle:

Great Britain – 7:08.58
Russia – 7:09.68
Italy – 7:10.26
France – 7:10.44
Switzerland – 7:11.15
Ireland – 7:12.73
Spain – 7:13.08
Belgium – 7:13.19
Qualifiers for Day 3 Semi-Finals, Cseh & Co To The Fore
Men’s 200m Medley: defending champion Jeremy Desplanches, of Switzerland, got his hand to the wall in 1:58.10, just ahead of the elder of the British Litchfield brothers, Max, on 1:58.12 in heat 4. In the last heat of 5 heats, Britain’s Duncan Scott came home first in 1:58.14, with Hungarian legend Laszlo Cseh, 36 and 13 years beyond claiming three silvers behind Michael Phelps at the 2008 Olympic Games and by 2015 was to be found winning the 200m butterfly title, seeing off the domestic competition of four racing in heats for two slots in further rounds, in 1:58.46. The same four-boiled-down-to-two rules saw the close of 200IM business for Britain’s Joe Litchfield, fifth overall on 1:58.79 at the helm of in heat 3 before he sped off to get set for the heats of the 100m backstroke.
The Race That Made Laszlo Cseh The First Swimmer To Race At 10 European Championships:
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | DoB | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 4 | 4 | ![]() | DESPLANCHES Jeremy | 07 AUG 1994 | 0.63 | 1:58.10 | q | |||||||||
2 | 4 | 6 | ![]() | LITCHFIELD Max | 04 MAR 1995 | 0.61 | 1:58.12 | 0.02 | q | ||||||||
3 | 5 | 4 | ![]() | SCOTT Duncan W | 06 MAY 1997 | 0.66 | 1:58.14 | 0.04 | q | ||||||||
4 | 5 | 3 | ![]() | CSEH Laszlo | 03 DEC 1985 | 0.71 | 1:58.46 | 0.36 | q | ||||||||
5 | 3 | 5 | ![]() | LITCHFIELD Joe | 08 JUL 1998 | 0.59 | 1:58.79 | 0.69 | |||||||||
6 | 4 | 5 | ![]() | KOS Hubert | 28 MAR 2003 | 0.58 | 1:58.87 | 0.77 | q | ||||||||
7 | 3 | 4 | ![]() | RAZZETTI Alberto | 02 JUN 1999 | 0.65 | 1:58.90 | 0.80 | q | ||||||||
8 | 3 | 6 | ![]() | GONZALEZ DE OLIVEIRA H. | 19 FEB 1999 | 0.67 | 1:58.99 | 0.89 | q | ||||||||
9 | 5 | 5 | ![]() | ZHILKIN Andrey | 09 MAR 1995 | 0.69 | 1:59.31 | 1.21 | q | ||||||||
10 | 5 | 2 | ![]() | MCFADZEN James | 01 JAN 1999 | 0.77 | 1:59.34 | 1.24 | |||||||||
11 | 5 | 0 | ![]() | STUPIN Maxim | 11 MAY 2000 | 0.67 | 1:59.84 | 1.74 | q | ||||||||
12 | 3 | 2 | ![]() | TOUMARKIN Yakov Yan | 15 FEB 1992 | 0.73 | 1:59.85 | 1.75 | q | ||||||||
13 | 3 | 3 | ![]() | SANTOS Alexis Manacas | 23 MAR 1992 | 0.68 | 2:00.01 | 1.91 | q | ||||||||
14 | 5 | 7 | ![]() | REITSHAMMER Bernhard | 17 JUN 1994 | 0.70 | 2:00.14 | 2.04 | q | ||||||||
15 | 4 | 3 | ![]() | BORODIN Ilya | 14 FEB 2003 | 0.70 | 2:00.23 | 2.13 | |||||||||
16 | 5 | 6 | ![]() | VAZAIOS Andreas | 09 MAY 1994 | 0.62 | 2:00.26 | 2.16 | q | ||||||||
17 | 4 | 1 | ![]() | ZENIMOTO HVAS Tomoe | 01 JUN 2000 | 0.67 | 2:00.32 | 2.22 | q | ||||||||
18 | 3 | 8 | ![]() | KNIPPING Arjan | 01 AUG 1994 | 0.71 | 2:00.35 | 2.25 | q | ||||||||
19 | 4 | 8 | ![]() | SOS Daniel | 10 AUG 1998 | 0.68 | 2:00.54 | 2.44 | |||||||||
20 | 2 | 3 | ![]() | TOERNQVIST Samuel | 04 NOV 1997 | 0.71 | 2:00.68 | 2.58 | q |
Women’s 200m Butterfly: The heats eliminated two Hungarians and two Brits from further contention, the berths in semis for those countries going to defending European and reigning World champion Boglarka Kapas and triple Olympic champion Katinka Hosszu, for Hungary, and Laura Stephens and Keanna MacInnes, for Britain. Like Cseh, Hosszu and Kapas have a strong of European Championships in their treasury.
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | DoB | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 2 | 4 | ![]() | KAPAS Boglarka | 22 APR 1993 | 0.67 | 2:07.61 | q | |||||||||
2 | 3 | 4 | ![]() | HOSSZU Katinka | 03 MAY 1989 | 0.70 | 2:08.36 | 0.75 | q | ||||||||
3 | 2 | 5 | ![]() | STEPHENS Laura Kathleen | 02 JUN 1999 | 0.68 | 2:09.15 | 1.54 | q | ||||||||
4 | 3 | 5 | ![]() | JAKABOS Zsuzsanna | 03 APR 1989 | 0.71 | 2:09.35 | 1.74 | |||||||||
5 | 3 | 6 | ![]() | BACH Helena Rosendahl | 12 JUN 2000 | 0.80 | 2:09.42 | 1.81 | q | ||||||||
6 | 1 | 5 | ![]() | CHIMROVA Svetlana | 15 APR 1996 | 0.69 | 2:09.48 | 1.87 | q | ||||||||
7 | 1 | 3 | ![]() | MACINNES Keanna | 19 AUG 2001 | 0.70 | 2:09.82 | 2.21 | q | ||||||||
8 | 2 | 6 | ![]() | CUSINATO Ilaria | 05 OCT 1999 | 0.70 | 2:10.18 | 2.57 | q | ||||||||
9 | 2 | 3 | ![]() | MONTEIRO Ana Catarina | 14 AUG 1993 | 0.68 | 2:10.73 | 3.12 | q | ||||||||
10 | 2 | 7 | ![]() | HATHAZI Dora | 16 DEC 2003 | 0.68 | 2:10.75 | 3.14 | |||||||||
11 | 1 | 2 | ![]() | DEMLER Kathrin | 12 JUN 1996 | 0.82 | 2:10.84 | 3.23 | q | ||||||||
12 | 1 | 7 | ![]() | USTUNDAG Nida Eliz | 21 OCT 1996 | 0.71 | 2:11.02 | 3.41 | q | ||||||||
13 | 3 | 3 | ![]() | LARGE Emily | 01 FEB 2001 | 0.66 | 2:11.08 | 3.47 | |||||||||
14 | 1 | 4 | ![]() | THOMAS Alys | 10 OCT 1990 | 0.70 | 2:11.51 | 3.90 | |||||||||
15 | 2 | 2 | ![]() | CRISPINO Antonella | 17 FEB 2003 | 0.81 | 2:11.85 | 4.24 | q | ||||||||
16 | 3 | 1 | ![]() | NAZIEBLO Klaudia | 03 DEC 1993 | 0.71 | 2:12.82 | 5.21 | q | ||||||||
17 | 3 | 2 | ![]() | HUFNAGL Claudia | 20 MAY 1996 | 0.79 | 2:12.87 | 5.26 | q | ||||||||
18 | 1 | 8 | ![]() | TORRONTEGUI G. Carlota | 02 MAY 2003 | 0.76 | 2:13.33 | 5.72 | q | ||||||||
19 | 2 | 1 | ![]() | NTOUNTOUNAKI Anna | 09 SEP 1995 | 0.65 | 2:14.69 | 7.08 | q | ||||||||
20 | 3 | 8 | ![]() | KAJTAZ Amina | 31 DEC 1996 | 0.69 | 2:14.98 | 7.37 | q |
Men’s 100m Backstroke:
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | DoB | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 5 | 4 | ![]() | KOLESNIKOV Kliment | 09 JUL 2000 | 0.73 | 52.32 | q | |||||||||
2 | 5 | 5 | ![]() | NDOYE BROUARD Yohann | 29 NOV 2000 | 0.72 | 53.24 | 0.92 | q | ||||||||
3 | 5 | 3 | ![]() | GLINTA Robert-Andrei | 18 APR 1997 | 0.60 | 53.26 | 0.94 | q | ||||||||
4 | 5 | 6 | ![]() | GONZALEZ DE OLIVEIRA H. | 19 FEB 1999 | 0.57 | 53.37 | 1.05 | q | ||||||||
4 | 6 | 4 | ![]() | RYLOV Evgeny | 23 SEP 1996 | 0.52 | 53.37 | 1.05 | q | ||||||||
6 | 4 | 4 | ![]() | CECCON Thomas | 27 JAN 2001 | 0.65 | 53.43 | 1.11 | q | ||||||||
7 | 4 | 5 | ![]() | TOMAC Mewen | 11 SEP 2001 | 0.57 | 53.46 | 1.14 | q | ||||||||
8 | 6 | 3 | ![]() | CHRISTOU Apostolos | 01 NOV 1996 | 0.60 | 53.47 | 1.15 | q | ||||||||
9 | 6 | 5 | ![]() | TARASEVICH Grigory | 01 AUG 1995 | 0.56 | 53.55 | 1.23 | |||||||||
10 | 6 | 1 | ![]() | MITYUKOV Roman | 30 JUL 2000 | 0.55 | 53.87 | 1.55 | q | ||||||||
11 | 5 | 2 | ![]() | GREENBANK Luke | 17 SEP 1997 | 0.55 | 53.92 | 1.60 | q | ||||||||
12 | 4 | 6 | ![]() | BOHUS Richard | 09 APR 1993 | 0.58 | 54.17 | 1.85 | q | ||||||||
13 | 5 | 8 | ![]() | MAKRYGIANNIS Evangelos | 18 JUN 2000 | 0.62 | 54.28 | 1.96 | q | ||||||||
14 | 4 | 1 | ![]() | KOVACS Benedek | 18 MAY 1998 | 0.69 | 54.29 | 1.97 | q | ||||||||
15 | 5 | 9 | ![]() | CEJKA Jan | 29 MAY 2001 | 0.57 | 54.33 | 2.01 | q | ||||||||
15 | 4 | 3 | ![]() | SABBIONI Simone | 03 OCT 1996 | 0.63 | 54.33 | 2.01 | q | ||||||||
17 | 6 | 8 | ![]() | FRANTA Tomas | 18 APR 1998 | 0.60 | 54.45 | 2.13 | q |
Women’s 200m Freestyle:
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | DoB | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 7 | 5 | ![]() | SEEMANOVA Barbora | 01 APR 2000 | 0.63 | 1:58.25 | q | |||||||||
2 | 5 | 4 | ![]() | BONNET Charlotte | 14 FEB 1995 | 0.68 | 1:58.33 | 0.08 | q | ||||||||
3 | 7 | 4 | ![]() | PELLEGRINI Federica | 05 AUG 1988 | 0.74 | 1:58.48 | 0.23 | q | ||||||||
4 | 6 | 4 | ![]() | ANDERSON Freya | 04 MAR 2001 | 0.75 | 1:58.50 | 0.25 | q | ||||||||
5 | 7 | 3 | ![]() | MUREZ Andrea | 29 JAN 1992 | 0.68 | 1:58.84 | 0.59 | q | ||||||||
6 | 7 | 8 | ![]() | SEGEL Janja | 17 JUN 2001 | 0.74 | 1:58.95 | 0.70 | q | ||||||||
7 | 6 | 6 | ![]() | DUMONT Valentine | 02 JUL 2000 | 0.68 | 1:59.09 | 0.84 | q | ||||||||
8 | 7 | 2 | ![]() | FAIN Katja | 31 AUG 2001 | 0.77 | 1:59.27 | 1.02 | q | ||||||||
9 | 7 | 1 | ![]() | VAN SELM Tamryn | 27 JAN 2004 | 0.68 | 1:59.52 | 1.27 | q | ||||||||
10 | 6 | 5 | ![]() | HOPE Lucy | 30 JAN 1997 | 0.67 | 1:59.67 | 1.42 | |||||||||
11 | 5 | 2 | ![]() | PIROZZI Stefania | 16 DEC 1993 | 0.74 | 1:59.87 | 1.62 | q | ||||||||
12 | 7 | 7 | ![]() | VERES Laura | 21 AUG 2005 | 0.67 | 2:00.06 | 1.81 | q | ||||||||
13 | 7 | 0 | ![]() | KOSSAKOWSKA Dominika | 30 JAN 2001 | 0.60 | 2:00.12 | 1.87 | q | ||||||||
14 | 5 | 1 | ![]() | POLANSKA Aleksandra | 24 SEP 2000 | 0.74 | 2:00.23 | 1.98 | q | ||||||||
15 | 7 | 6 | ![]() | MROZINSKI Julia | 16 FEB 2000 | 0.72 | 2:00.30 | 2.05 | q | ||||||||
16 | 5 | 5 | ![]() | FOOS Reva | 15 SEP 1993 | 0.70 | 2:00.44 | 2.19 | q | ||||||||
17 | 5 | 3 | ![]() | HIBBOTT Holly | 13 DEC 1999 | 0.79 | 2:00.52 | 2.27 | |||||||||
18 | 5 | 7 | ![]() | FABIAN Fanni | 30 OCT 2002 | 0.65 | 2:00.58 | 2.33 | q |
Men’s 200m Breaststroke: All big contenders sailed through, Arno Kamminga shucking a 2:07.39 gauntlet, Olympic champion and defending European title holders Anton Chupkov through in fourth:
P | H | L | Nation | Swimmer | DoB | R | Time | Gap | Q | ||||||||
1 | 4 | 4 | ![]() | KAMMINGA Arno | 22 OCT 1995 | 0.62 | 2:07.39 | q | |||||||||
2 | 4 | 3 | ![]() | MATTSSON Matti | 05 OCT 1993 | 0.69 | 2:08.43 | 1.04 | q | ||||||||
3 | 4 | 5 | ![]() | PRIGODA Kirill | 29 DEC 1995 | 0.60 | 2:09.21 | 1.82 | q | ||||||||
4 | 5 | 4 | ![]() | CHUPKOV Anton | 22 FEB 1997 | 0.62 | 2:09.44 | 2.05 | q | ||||||||
5 | 3 | 5 | ![]() | MURDOCH Ross | 14 JAN 1994 | 0.64 | 2:09.60 | 2.21 | q | ||||||||
6 | 5 | 7 | ![]() | SIDLAUSKAS Andrius | 05 JUN 1997 | 0.68 | 2:09.74 | 2.35 | q | ||||||||
7 | 5 | 3 | ![]() | PERSSON Erik | 12 JAN 1994 | 0.67 | 2:09.77 | 2.38 | q | ||||||||
8 | 3 | 4 | ![]() | WILBY James | 12 NOV 1993 | 0.67 | 2:09.96 | 2.57 | q | ||||||||
9 | 3 | 2 | ![]() | ZHIGALOV Aleksandr | 27 JUL 2001 | 0.76 | 2:10.07 | 2.68 | |||||||||
10 | 4 | 7 | ![]() | EPITROPOV Lyubomir | 27 APR 1999 | 0.69 | 2:10.12 | 2.73 | q | ||||||||
11 | 5 | 5 | ![]() | KOCH Marco | 25 JAN 1990 | 0.70 | 2:10.40 | 3.01 | q | ||||||||
12 | 5 | 1 | ![]() | TITENIS Giedrius | 21 JUL 1989 | 0.73 | 2:11.13 | 3.74 | q | ||||||||
13 | 3 | 3 | ![]() | CORBEAU Caspar | 04 MAR 2001 | 0.69 | 2:11.19 | 3.80 | q | ||||||||
14 | 5 | 2 | ![]() | ROTHBAUER Christopher | 29 JAN 1998 | 0.81 | 2:11.78 | 4.39 | q | ||||||||
15 | 3 | 0 | ![]() | BAYER Valentin | 08 NOV 1999 | 0.74 | 2:11.99 | 4.60 | q | ||||||||
16 | 2 | 6 | ![]() | PAULSSON Adam | 14 MAR 1995 | 0.68 | 2:12.02 | 4.63 | q | ||||||||
17 | 5 | 6 | ![]() | GIORGETTI Edoardo | 05 FEB 1989 | 0.64 | 2:12.23 | 4.84 | q |