The Dutch mixed relay team narrowly missed a medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay at the World Swimming Championships in Singapore on Wednesday. The Netherlands finished fourth after a good final sprint.
The Dutch team consisted of Kai van Westering (backstroke), Caspar Corbeau (breaststroke), Tessa Giele (butterfly), and Marrit Steenbergen (freestyle) in the final. Steenbergen was making a comeback as the final swimmer, but could not guide the Netherlands to a medal.
The Netherlands clocked a national record of 3:40.97, but was slightly slower than number three Canada (3:40.90). Russia, swimming under a neutral flag, won the world title (3:37.97). China took the silver (3:39.99).
Steenbergen secured bronze for the Dutch relay swimmers on Sunday with a fine final sprint. That bronze medal is currently the only World Cup medal for the Netherlands at the tournament, which ends on August 3.
Koen de Groot finished seventh in the 50 meter breaststroke on Wednesday. The 21-year-old from Limburg touched after 26.81 seconds. The gold went to Italian Simone Cerasuolo in a time of 26.54.
Maaike de Waard stranded in the semi-finals of the 50 meter backstroke. The 28-year-old swimmer from Rozenburg recorded only the fourteenth time of the sixteen semi-finalists: 27.87.
Marchand shatters world record 200 meters
Léon Marchand broke a fourteen-year-old world record of Ryan Lochte in the 200 meter individual medley. The Frenchman, who won four gold medals at the Olympic Games in Paris, swam to a time of 1:52.69 in the semi-finals. Lochte’s old record was 1:54.00.