Kreundl was not yet satisfied with her preliminary run, but the 26-year-old was happy with her performance in the semi-finals. “I was able to do some things better. But it still wasn’t a 100 percent race, I can do even better in the finale. Everything is possible and I just let myself be surprised. The cards are being reshuffled, everyone has to bring their leadership again,” said Kreundl before the final on Thursday (5:58 p.m., live on ORF Sport +).
Reitshammer also achieved his big goal. The 29-year-old is hoping for further improvement in the final. “That’s fitting. But there’s definitely something else going on. But it helps if you know that you are at the forefront in Europe. As an eighth-place finisher, you won’t be able to go any further back in the final, which is a good thing. So things can only go forward. I will attack fully tomorrow,” said Reitshammer, whose final run is scheduled for 7:01 p.m.
Finals for Kreundl and Reitshammer
Lena Kreundl in the 100 m individual medley and Bernhard Reitshammer in the 100 m breaststroke made it into the finals of the European Short Course Championships in Otopeni (Romania) on Wednesday. Kreundl reached the final scheduled for Thursday evening with a time of 58.83 seconds as fifth overall of the two semi-finals. She remained only 0.04 seconds above her record. Reitshammer recorded the eighth fastest time overall in the semifinals with 57.87 seconds.
Talent samples from Mladenovic and Berger
Two youngsters were also convincing. Luka Mladenovic also qualified for the semi-finals in the 100 m breaststroke, in which the 19-year-old improved again with a time of 58.45 seconds and finished 14th. In her European Championship debut, 19-year-old Julia Iris Berger finished 13th overall in the 200 m backstroke with a personal best time of 2:07.57 minutes in the semifinals.
EM schedule in ORF Sport +
December 7th, 4:55 p.m. *
December 8th, 6:20 p.m
December 9th, 5:50 p.m
December 10th, 4:55 p.m
* Full length in the ORF TVthek
Lukas Edl swam the Austrian junior record twice, both in the 50 m freestyle and as the starting swimmer in the 4×50 m medley relay, but unlike the day before (over the 100 m dolphin), he didn’t get any further. With the ninth-placed relay team, he was only 0.11 seconds short.
Heiko Gigler (21.72) and Leon Opatril (22.49) also missed promotion in the 50 m freestyle. Alexander Trampitsch had to give up the 100 m breaststroke (1:00.98), Luca Karl had to give up the 1,500 m freestyle (15:24.48). Fabienne Pavlik also got stuck in the preliminary round of the 200 m Delfin (2:13.54).
OSV team and program
Iris Julia Berger, Marijana Lucic, Lena Kreundl, Lena Opatril, Fabienne Pavlik; Felix Auböck, Lukas Edl, Heiko Gigler, Luca Karl, Luka Mladenovic, Leon Opatril, Andreas Rizek, Bernhard Reitshammer, Christopher Rothbauer, Alexander Trampitsch
Framework schedule: heats from 8:30 a.m., final session from 5:00 p.m
Thursday: 100 m Kraul F (Berger, Jelic, Opatril), 200 m individual medley M (Mladenovic, Reitshammer), 100 m backstroke M (Edl, Opatril), 200 m Delfin M (Rizek)Freitag: 200 m Kraul M (Auböck, Trampitsch), 100 m Delfin F (Berger, Pavlik), 200 m Brust M (Mladenovic, Rothbauer), 200 m Lagen F (Kreundl), 50 m Delfin M (Edl, Gigler)Saturday: 50 m Breaststroke M (Reitshammer), 200 m Kraul F (Berger, Kreundl, Opatril), 100 m Kraul M (Gigler, Opatril, Trampitsch), 100 m Individual Medley M (Edl, Gigler, Mladenovic, Reitshammer), 50 m Delfin F (Jelic, Pavlik), 4 x 50 m Kraul Mixed (Austria), 800 m Kraul M (Auböck, Karl)Sunday: 400 m Kraul F (Opatril)
