During the closing weekend of the European Aquatics Championships on August 15, 2026, Belgian swimmers Sarah Dumont (200m butterfly) and Florine Gaspard (50m breaststroke) secured qualification for the semifinals. Meanwhile, Vincent Van Hooydonck broke a 17-year-old national record in the 50m freestyle with a time of 22 seconds 10 hundredths, missing the semifinal cut by a razor-thin three hundredths of a second.
The Heats Breakdown: Triumphs and Heartbreak in the Pool
The morning session brought mixed fortunes for the Belgian contingent. Florine Gaspard delivered a clinical performance in the 50m breaststroke preliminaries, clocking a 30″39 that matched closely with her personal best. Placing fifth overall, Gaspard secured her lane comfortably for the evening semifinals.
“I am trying to enjoy being here as much as possible,” Gaspard stated regarding her morning execution. “I am satisfied. I think I can go a little faster, and I will have to do so for the final. I think I belong there.”
Conversely, Sarah Dumont punched her ticket to the 200m butterfly semifinals. Posting a 2’12″18, Dumont finished eleventh overall.
“The first 100 meters were good, then it got heavy,” Dumont noted. “But overall I am satisfied with my race.”
Van Hooydonck Shatters a Seventeen-Year-Old National Record
The most dramatic narrative of the morning belonged to Vincent Van Hooydonck. Competing in the 50m freestyle heats, Van Hooydonck shattered a milestone, erasing Yoris Grandjean’s 17-year-old Belgian record from the record books with a 22″10 sprint.
Despite the time, Van Hooydonck missed the semifinal threshold by three hundredths of a second, finishing 19th overall.
“I have mixed feelings, in the 50 free it is always very close,” Van Hooydonck reflected. “A semifinal was the highest attainable, it would have been cool. But I enjoyed my first time.”
The day also brought disappointment for Noah Verreth in the backstroke events. Following a subpar outing in the 50m rugslag, Verreth failed to find his technical rhythm in the 100m rugslag, registering a 54″45 that left him in 27th place.
“I can do so much more, but it didn’t come out,” Verreth admitted. “A bit of the tension perhaps, because I am in shape. It just was a bad race.”
Session Analytics at a Glance
| Discipline | Swimmer | Phase | Time / Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50m Freestyle (m) | Vincent Van Hooydonck | Heats | 22″10 (19th – OUT) |
| 50m Breaststroke (v) | Florine Gaspard | Heats | 30″39 (5th – Semifinal) |
| 100m Backstroke (m) | Noah Verreth | Heats | 54″45 (27th – OUT) |
| 200m Butterfly (v) | Sarah Dumont | Heats | 2’12″18 (11th – Semifinal) |
| 200m Medley (v) | Roos Vanotterdijk | Final | 18:47 |
The Evening Outlook
With the morning preliminaries concluded, attention pivots immediately to the evening session. Florine Gaspard and Sarah Dumont will return to the blocks for their respective semifinal heats, while Roos Vanotterdijk prepares for the 200m individual medley final at 18:47.
