200 meter dolphin

Sensational! Espernberger swims into the final

Martin Espernberger(Bild: GEPA)

Martin Espernberger has reached the final of the 200-meter dolphin. The Austrian swam a new personal record of 1:54.62 in the semi-final, qualifying in eighth place for the final on Wednesday at 20:37!

Martin Espernberger officially received his Olympic baptism on Tuesday morning in the impressive La Defense swimming hall in Paris. And he was surprisingly unimpressed. Although he had lagged behind for a long time, he didn't let himself get rattled and, after a chase to catch up, set a time of 1:55.17, which was only 48 hundredths faster than his best time. This even put him ahead of France's swimming star Leon Marchand, who finished fifth in the semifinals.

Martin Espernberger(Bild: GEPA pictures)

Here he found himself in the same heat as world record holder Kristof Milak from Hungary, among others. Once again, Espernberger was behind in the first 50 m, but once again rolled up the field from behind. This time the pace was much faster than in the morning. In 1:54.62, however, he made it into the final in eighth place. "The record was the cherry on top. I'm absolutely over the moon," he said jubilantly. "My goal for the final is another record. But I think I'll need a low 1:53 for the medal."

As expected, Leon Marchand was of course able to improve on his time from the preliminary heat. The 22-year-old won his semi-final in 1:53.50 to the thunderous screams and cheers of his fellow countrymen.