Historic silver medal for Belgium at World Swimming Championships
More than 30 years after Brigitte Becue, Roos Vanotterdijk has become the second Belgian swimmer in history to win a World Championship medal in the 50-metre pool.
In excellent form since the start of the World Swimming Championships in Singapore, Roos Vanotterdijk had already improved on her own Belgian record in the heats and semi-finals of the 100-metre butterfly, and harboured great ambitions for the final as she tied for the best time in the semi-finals.
The 20-year-old Belgian swimmer didn't give in to pressure! Behind American Gretchen Walsh, the world record holder in the event, the Limburg swimmer once again surpassed herself, remaining in second position from start to finish of the 100-metre butterfly to finish in 55.84, a third Belgian record in as many races and the eighth best world performance in history.
Roos Vanotterdijk has now won the 4th Belgian medal in the history of the 50-metre World Championships, following the bronze (1994 in Rome) and gold (1998 in Perth) medals won by Frederik Deburghgraeve in the men's event, and the bronze medal won by Brigitte Becue (also in 1994 in Rome) in the women's race.
Congratulations to our Belgian swimmer for this historic performance!