By Nicole Miller on SwimSwam
2021 LEN EUROPEAN AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Swimming: Monday, May 17th – Sunday, May 23rd
- Budapest, Hungary
- Prelims at 10:00 am local/Finals at 6:00 pm local
- Event Site
- Entry List
- Live Stream
Following her second-place finish in the 200m freestyle at the 2021 European Championships, Italian Federica Pellegrini told reporters that she did not even intend to swim the event individually, instead planning to swim only relays at the Championships.
“I’m really very happy. When I came here, my original plan was just to swim the relays but when I saw how good it was going I decided to keep my entry in this event too,” Pellegrini, the reigning World Champion in the 200 freestyle, stated.
Pellegrini also said that she was “happy” with her final time of 1:56.26. “I’m very happy with my time, it’s more than a second better than my qualifying time. It was a very exciting and beautiful race.”
Hungarian superstar Katinka Hosszu expressed a different sentiment regarding her performance in the 200 butterfly final. Although she claimed that she swam a “good race,” Hosszu stated that she “cannot be satisfied.”
“I cannot be satisfied though it was a good race but now I don’t have the feeling that I gave everything and I always tell that I can only be content with a swim if I gave the maximum, then the placement is not that important,” Hosszu stated. “Today I think I chose the wrong tactics as I rather followed Bogi (Kapas) who usually didn’t push hard over the first half. My game plan differs as I wish to have a bit stronger first half so it was a good lesson to rather stick to my own plan that to adjust to others.”
Other Quotes
- Following her victory in the 200 butterfly, Hosszu’s country mate Boglarka Kapas stated, “I think now I feel really comfortable in this event, I know what to do, when, how to react, that’s what I’m practicing. Of course, I’m aware that the international field at the Olympics will present a lot more challenges but I think I’m on a good way to face all.”
- After Great Britain won the mixed 4×100 medley relay, Breaststroker Adam Peaty expressed content with the team’s performance, “We haven’t been swimming this mixed relay for a while. Of course, we had to make changes to the team depending on the weaknesses we see. This mixed relay is a new element in my schedule. I’m very happy where I’m at the moment as well as the whole British swimming.”
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Federica Pellegrini Did Not Plan to Race 200 Freestyle at 2021 European Champs