Hoogie sinks as Manaudou hits form at European Swimming Championships
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (AFP) — Three-time Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband's preparations for the Beijing Games were thrown into turmoil on Wednesday as the Dutch swimmer failed to qualify for the 200m freestyle final at the European swimming championships.
But French star Laure Manaudou showed her form as she dominated the field in an event which is not even her speciality by winning the women's 200m backstroke.
Van den Hoogenband, nicknamed Hoogie or simply VDH, left the Tongelreep pool sick and bewildered after managing only the 20th best time to miss out on a top 16 placing which would have brought a place in the semi-finals.
"It's a catastrophe. I am very disappointed," said the Sydney Olympics champion and four-time European titleholder over the distance.
"In all my long career, this had never happened to me," said the 30-year-old, who nonetheless said his fitness was not up to par in this Olympic warm-up and warned he might have to sit out the remainder of the tournament.
"Yesterday I could feel something was not quite right. But I didn't think I was going to be ill.
"Then, during the night, I woke up with a fever, indigestion and cramp. I am an athlete down to my fingertips and I wanted to race the 200m all the same.
"But after 115m it was all over. I don't know if I am going to swim these coming days. I'd like to help the relay team to qualify for Beijing but I will only swim if I feel right again," he added.
Van den Hoogenband is scheduled to race in the 100m at the weekend but his participation is now in serious doubt.
His coach Jacco Verhaeren admitted that this was a major setback in their preparations for the Olympics in less than five months.
"These European championships were ideally situated, a great opportunity for Pieter to test himself over a number of races. The goal here was for Pieter to swim a lot to observe the reactions of his body," said Verhaeren.
"We're going to see now if there is a possibility for Pieter to swim in another competition."
Van den Hoggenband has not been at his best since undergoing back surgery in 2005. Bidding for an unprecedented third Olympic 100m title, he has not won the event in a major competition since Athens 2004.
Olympic 400m champion Manaudou, meanwhile, eased to victory in the 200m backstroke, which she rarely swims in competition, in 2:07.99, over six seconds faster than her best over the distance.
"It's an enormous performance because I wasn't worried or under pressure either," said Manaudou after achieving the fifth best performance ever over the distance.
Her coach of the past two months Lionel Horter was delighted that their work was beginning to bear fruit. "She's responding wonderfully and beyond all my expectations," he said.
Chantal Groot offered some consolation to the home crowd, winning the 50m butterfly ahead of compatriot Inge Dekker.
The Dutch then clocked the top times in the women's 100m freestyle semi-finals with Marleen Veldhuis leading the way ahead of Dekker. A number of European records were broken during the day's action.
Serb Milorad Cavic set a new continental mark in the men's 50m butterfly which he won in 23.11sec, and was followed by Norway's Alexander Dale Oen in the men's 100m breaststroke in 59.76sec.
