Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri;
Credit: FLNS Luxembourg swimming federation
Three Luxembourg swimmers were on the starting block in the 200-metre freestyle race on the fourth day of the European Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Ralph Daleiden Ciuferri won the first heat in 1 minute 53.71 seconds and significantly improved his best time (1 minute 54.66 seconds). He commented: “I didn't know where I was in the 200 metres, I have been concentrating on the 100 metres in the last few weeks. Considering this, the race was really good".
Fellow Luxembourg swimmers Max Mannes and Pit Brandenburger completed the third heat in 1 minute 51.98 seconds and 1 minute 52.14 seconds respectively.
"I swam far too slowly, this time I couldn't make up for that in the second half," noted Max Mannes after the race.
Pit Brandenburger was nervous before his race, as he had not swum a 200-metre race in over a year.
In the 50-metre butterfly sprint, Luxembourg's Julien Henx reached the finish line after 24.35 seconds. He commented: "Nothing more was possible in the last metres, the training deficit after my COVID infection is still very large".
On Friday, Julie Meynen will compete in the competition in the 100-metre freestyle race, whilst Max Mannes will take part in the 200-metre backstroke race.
