The Danish Short Course National Swimming Championships are being held in Copenhagen (specifically Bronshoj) over the next four days.
The Danes go into these championships after having an extremely successful European Championships where they placed second (tied with Hungary) leaving Chartres with 12 medals (6 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze). This is especially impressive when looking at the history of Denmark at the championships. Since the European Short Course Swimming Championships came into existence in 1996 the Danes have won a total of 58 medals (13 gold, 23 silver and 22 bronze), in one year the Danish women almost earned half as many gold medals as their country has in the last 15 championships combined!
Needless to say the Danish Director of Sport Mikkel von Seelen was happy with the teams performance expressing that in an interview with the Danish Swimming's Anna Birbak.
In the interview von Seelen told Birbak that the teams goal going into the meet was 10 finals and 5 medals and that he was very impressed with the depth of the team and it's youth.
Denmark's individual medallists were:
Rikke Moeller Pedersen – gold – 100 breaststroke (European record time of 1:04.12) and the 200 breaststroke; silver – breast
Lotte Friis – gold – 800 freestyle; silver – 400 freestyle
Jeanette Ottesen Gray – gold – 50 butterfly; silver – 100 freestyle; bronze – 50 freestyle and 100 butterfly
Viktor Bromer – silver – 200 butterfly
The Danish women also won both the 4 x 50 freestyle and medal relays.
Danish Short Course National Swimming Championships – Day One
Day one was highlighted by 16 year old Mie Nielsen who posted a winning time of 57.57 in the 100 backstroke which is a Danish National record tying her own mark set last year at the European Championships.
European Championship medallists Jeanette Ottesen Gray won the 100 IM in a time of 1:01.36 with Rikke Moeller Pedersen winning the 200 Breaststroke in a time of 2:18.88, nearly ten seconds ahead of Josephina Bartela who swam a 2:28.15.
Morten Bak Hansen also set a Danish Junior National Record in the 100 backstroke in a time of 53.51.
Other winners included:
Men's 100 IM – Daniel Skaaning – 54.42
Women's 800 freestyle – Katrine Holm Sorensen – 8:38.82
Men's 100 backstroke – Andreas Schiellerup – 52.83
Men's 400 freestyle – Anders Lie – 3:44.86
Women's 50 freestyle – Kelly Riber Rasmussen – 25.34
Men's 50 freestyle – Anders Blume – 22.50
Men's 200 breaststroke – Joachim Mortensen – 2:11.26