After clinching silver in the 100-metre butterfly, Roos Vanotterdijk has also won bronze in the 50-metre butterfly. Never before has a Belgian swimmer achieved two podium finishes at the same event.
The Singapore World Aquatics Championships has resulted in the young Limburg resident writing one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the sport. Already a medallist in the 100-metre butterfly, young Roos Vanotterdijk once again shone on the international stage in the 50-metre butterfly final.
Starting in lane 5, the 20-year-old from Limburg swam 25.43, 20 hundredths of a second off her Belgian record, which she set in the semi-finals. Gold went to American Gretchen Walsh in 24.83, ahead of Australian Alexandria Perkins, who was 2nd in 25.3 seconds.
With two medals, the Belgian delegation equals the performance of 1994 in Rome, when Brigitte Becue won bronze in the 200-metre breaststroke and Frederik Deburghgraeve also took bronze in the 100-metre breaststroke. To date, he is the only Belgian swimmer to have won two medals: gold in 1998 and bronze in 1994.
There's no doubt that this Belgian sportswoman has many more great years ahead of her to add to her already exceptional list of achievements!
