Dutch swimmer Kira Toussaint broke the European 50m backstroke record on Saturday.
That was during the Eindhoven Qualification Meet. This was held in the Pieter van den Hoogenband Swimming Stadium. She covered the distance in a time of 27.10 seconds. This makes Toussaint slightly faster than Britain’s Georgia Davies. She set the record at 27.21 in 2018.
Toussaint and 220 other swimmers were in Eindhoven on the weekend. They were competing for a spot in the European Championships and the Tokyo Olympics. Qualification rounds were also held for the European Junior Championships and the Paralympic Games.
The stakes for the would-be Paralympians were particularly high. That’s because the Eindhoven Qualification Meet is the last chance to qualify for the Tokyo team. Potential Olympians will get a second chance at the European Championships in Budapest in May. That’s provided there are still open spots in their disciplines.
Source: Studio040
Translator: Melinda Walraven
