Jacob Whittle from Great Britain Takes First Place in Men's 100m Freestyle, Beating Olympic Teammate Tom Dean at the 2024 Flanders Swimming Cup

 Jacob Whittle from Great Britain Takes First Place in Men's 100m Freestyle, Beating Olympic Teammate Tom Dean at the 2024 Flanders Swimming Cup

 

 

Day two of the 2024 Flanders Swimming Cup in Belgium brought a thrilling showdown in the men's 100m freestyle, featuring a British clash.

The first to touch the wall was the 19-year-old Jacob Whittle, clocking an impressive 49.08, securing a well-deserved gold medal. Hot on his heels was Tom Dean, the Olympic champion in the 200m freestyle, who claimed the silver with a time of 49.14. Ed Mildred, another British swimmer, secured the third spot on the podium with a time of 50.22.

Whittle has already marked himself as the 6th fastest swimmer globally this season, thanks to his outstanding performance of 48.03 at the Rotterdman Qualification Meet last month.

This competition serves as a stepping stone toward the Paris 2024 Olympic qualification, with the eagerly anticipated British Swimming Championships scheduled for April.

On the women's side, Irish standout Ellen Walshe continued her winning streak from the previous night by clinching gold in the women's 50m butterfly. The University of Tennessee athlete clocked in at 26.82, the only swimmer in the field to dip below the 27-second mark.

Pauline Zeller secured the silver with a time of 27.59, while Kathrin Demler took home the bronze in 28.22.

Later in the session, Walshe demonstrated her versatility by claiming another gold in the 400m individual medley with a time of 4:42.85. Her dominant performance left the competition trailing by approximately 10 seconds, securing a decisive victory.

Walshe is steadily closing in on the long-standing Irish national record of 4:39.18 set by Michele Smith in 1996. Her remarkable achievements highlight her potential as she aims for further success in the upcoming competitions, including the pursuit of a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
 

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