Swimming World Cup
Simon Bucher confidently qualified for the final of the 100 m dolphin at the World Swimming Championships in Doha. After the fastest time in the preliminary heat on Friday morning, the Tyrolean made it to the final on Saturday (5:42 p.m., live on ORF Sport +) in the afternoon in 51.39 seconds as third fastest in the semi-finals. Bucher is the third Austrian finalist in Doha after bronze medalist Martin Espernberger (200 m dolphin) and Felix Auböck (800 m freestyle).
16.02.2024 18.43
Online since today, 6:43 p.m
Bucher managed to successfully overcome his frustration after failing to make it to the semi-finals at the start of the 50 m Delfin World Cup. “I am completely satisfied. Anything is possible in the final, the others won’t have swum easily either. We are all in the same area,” said Bucher, who was just behind Portugal’s Diogo Matos Ribeiro (51.30) and Poland’s Jakub Majerski (51.33).
“It was a little tougher at the back than in the morning. I knew it would be a little faster, even if it was only a few hundredths. “That makes you want more,” says Bucher.
With a record chance of winning a medal?
The 23-year-old is going for the Austrian record he holds of 51.18 seconds. “If I swim the best time, then it won’t look so bad,” said Bucher, who will be swimming in the final of the 100 m dolphin for the second time after Budapest 2022 (sixth place).
As with the 100 m, Heiko Gigler was eliminated from the 50 m freestyle in the preliminary heat. With a time of 22.28, the Carinthian took 29th place. His focus is now on the medley relay (4 x 100 m) on Sunday at the end of the title fights in Qatar.
There was good news for the Austrian Swimming Association (OSV) regarding the Olympic Games in Paris this summer. The World Aquatics Association confirmed Jan Hercog’s quota place for the open water competition, for which Auböck also qualified.
