Top starting position for the final: Ponti in pole position for European Championship gold

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The day after winning the 100m dolphin title, Ponti was at the top of his game without pushing, even over twice the distance. With times of 1:54.38 (preliminary round) and 1:51.79 minutes (semi-final) he was clearly above his Swiss record, which he set last December when he came third at the World Short Course Championships in Melbourne.

Due to his personal best times, Ponti is also considered the top contender for European Championship gold in the 200 meter dolphin. He is the only participant with a value smaller than 1:50. With Marius Toscan, a second Swiss reached the semi-finals. In the final results, the resident of St. Gallen took 14th place (1:56.62).

The 100 meter backstroke meant that the semi-finals were the final destination for Thierry Bollin. The day after his surprise bronze medal victory in the 50m backstroke, the Bernese achieved 51.41 seconds and 51.43 seconds in the preliminary round, putting him around 1.3 seconds above his own Swiss record. In twelfth place, Bollin missed the final by half a second.

In the semi-finals, Gian-Luca Gartmann was eliminated in the 200-meter individual medley. The 20-year-old Ustemer finished 13th in 1:58.00, the fastest was 1:51.90 minutes. (SDA)

Source : Blick