Nyls Korstanje failed to win his first individual medal at the World Aquatics Championships on Monday. The Dutchman finished sixth in the 50-meter butterfly. Chinese sensation Yu Zidi (12) narrowly missed her first World Championships medal.
Korstanje hoped for a medal after the fourth-fastest time in the semi-finals (22.79), but after a small mistake in the final, he did not get beyond 22.84. Frenchman Maxime Grousset took gold (22.48), ahead of Swiss Noè Ponti (22.51) and Italian Thomas Ceccon (22.67).
For the 26-year-old Korstanje, it was his first World Championships final in the 50-meter butterfly, which will be on the Olympic program for the first time in three years in Los Angeles. At the previous three World Championships, Korstanje stranded in the semi-finals in this event.
Earlier in the day, Caspar Corbeau finished fourth in the 100-meter breaststroke. The American-Dutchman touched in fifth with 59.06. Russian Kirill Prigoda was disqualified, moving Corbeau up one place. China’s Qin Haiyang won the world title with a time of 58.23.
Corbeau finished seventh in the 100-meter breaststroke at last year’s World Championships. At the Paris Olympics, he finished eighth. He won bronze in the 200-meter breaststroke in Paris. That is also his specialty.
Twelve-year-old Yu very close to a medal
There was almost a huge surprise in the 200-meter individual medley. Twelve-year-old Yu was close to her first medal but finished fourth in 2:09.15. Summer McIntosh took gold in 2:06.69, ahead of Alex Walsh (2:08.58) and Mary-Sophie Harvey (2:09.15).
Later in the World Championships, Yu will compete in the 200-meter butterfly and the 400-meter individual medley. She is expected to have a chance at a medal in those two events as well. The swimming federation actually has a minimum age of fourteen, but in exceptional cases, an exception is made.
There was rare swimming success for our southern neighbors in Singapore. Roos Vanotterdijk gave Belgium its first World Championships medal since 1998. The twenty-year-old Belgian won silver in the 100-meter butterfly, behind the untouchable American Gretchen Walsh.
Vanotterdijk follows Frédérik Deburghgraeve. He won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke 27 years ago and was the last successful Belgian at a World Championships for many years. Vanotterdijk is coached by the Dutchman Mark Faber, who worked in Amsterdam until last year’s Games.