Mediaguide LEN Ech OWS 2016 Hoorn
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LEN EUROPEAN OPEN WATER SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIP HOORN 2016 MEDIA GUIDE GREETINGS FROM THE LEN PRESIDENT Dear Media Representatives, dear Friends! It is our utmost pleasure to return to the Netherlands, host of a series of great LEN Events, including European Championships in aquatics (2008), short-course swimming (2010), water polo, diving and synchro (2012). Now the continent’s best open water swimmers visit this wonderful country to race for European glory in the city of Hoorn. I think it’s unnecessary to highlight the special connection between the Dutch people and swimming. It’s love at its best. Open water swimming also enjoys tremendous popularity here, one can’t forget that the very first Olympic champion of the discipline is Maarten van der Weijden from 2008. At the last edition of the Europeans, in Berlin 2014 we witnessed two Dutch triumphs in the classical 10km races, courtesy of Ferry Weertman and Sharon van Rouwendaal, so these outstanding athletes have already ensured a great promotion for this meeting. LEN is looking forward to another successful European Championships, completing a kind of hat- trick after the European Water Polo Championships in January and the European Aquatics Championships in May. The fond memories from Belgrade and London are still with us and I am sure that Hoorn will also fit to the line. Though in Olympic years the open water swimmers have to race in a stand-alone meet, I do think we find the perfect date for their continental showcase. One month prior to the Olympic Games, this meet offers a really fine test for the Rio participants from Europe, and great racing opportunity for the other brave swimmers who are doing their best while covering long kilometres. Let me thank the Royal Dutch Swimming Association and the City of Hoorn, the Event Partners and the LEN Partners for delivering this event at the highest level. LEN is making its contribution by offering travel assistance for the national federations and prize money for our great athletes. Through these joint efforts we can lift our wonderful sport to another level, for the benefit of everyone in the LEN Family. May I wish all of you the best of luck, and enjoy the competitions! Paolo Barelli LEN President LEN Media Guide LEN EUROPEAN OPEN WATER CHAMPIONSHIPS HOORN NETHERLANDS July 10-14, 2016 Table of Contents GENERAL INFORMATION Welcome by LEN President Paolo Barelli LEN / LOC Media Team Schedule Hoorn 2016 Host cities of all LEN European Championships OPEN WATER SWIMMING Preview Participating nations Schedule Champions-Favourites by Day Favourites – Men & Women Medal Tables: All-time – Eilat 2011 – Piombino 2013 – Berlin 2014 All Medallists: Olympic Games, World and European Championships LEN MEDIA TEAM HOORN Hans-Peter Sick (GER) LEN Media Team Giorgio Perottino (ITA) LEN Photographer HOORN 2016 MEDIA TEAM Ester Nieuwenkamp Media Manager LEN European Championships – All host cities since 1926 Year City Date SWI DIV WP WP SYN OWS 01 1926 Budapest (HUN) August 18-22 swi div men - - - men only men only 02 1927 Bologna (ITA) August 31 -September 04 swi div men - - - 03 1931 Paris (FRA) August 23-30 swi div men - - - 04 1934 Magdeburg (GER) August 12-19 swi div men - - - 05 1938 London (GBR) August 06-13 swi div men - - - 06 1947 Monte Carlo (MON) September 10-14 swi div men - - - 07 1950 Vienna (AUT) August 20-27 swi div men - - - 08 1954 Turin (ITA) August 31-September 05 swi div men - - - 09 1958 Budapest (HUN) August 31-September 06 swi div men - - - 10 1962 Leipzig (GDR) August 18-25 swi div men - - - 11 1966 Utrecht (NED) August 20-27 swi div men - - - 12 1970 Barcelona (ESP) September 05-12 swi div men - - - 13 1974 Vienna (AUT) August 18-25 swi div men - - - 1974 Amsterdam (NED) August 08-10 - - - - syn - 14 1977 Joenkoeping (SWE) August 13-21 swi div men - syn - 15 1981 Split (YUG) September 05-12 swi div men - syn - 16 1983 Rome (ITA) August 20-27 swi div men - syn - 17 1985 Sofia (BUL) August 04-11 swi div men - syn - 1985 Oslo (NOR) August 18-22 - - - women - - 18 1987 Strasbourg (FRA) August 16-23 swi div men women syn - 19 1989 Bonn (FRG) August 12-20 swi div men women syn - 1989 Stari Grad (YUG) September 02-03 - - - - - ows 20 1991 Athens (GRE) August 17-25 swi div men women syn - 1991 Terracina (ITA) September 14-15 - - - - - ows 21 1993 Sheffield (GBR) July 29-August 08 swi div men - syn - 1993 Leeds (GBR) July 29-August 08 - - - women - - 1993 Slapy Dam (CZE) August 28-29 - - - - - ows 22 1995 Vienna (AUT) August 17-27 swi div men women syn ows 23 1997 Seville (ESP) Augsut 13-24 swi div men women syn ows 24 1999 Istanbul (TUR) July 22- August 01 swi div - - syn ows 1999 Florence (ITA) September 02-11 - - men - - - 1999 Prato (ITA) September 02-11 - - - women - - 25 2000 Helsinki (FIN) June 28-July 09 swi div - - syn ows 2001 Budapest (HUN) June 15-24 - - men women - - 26 2002 Berlin (GER) July 25-August 04 swi div - - syn ows 2003 Kranj (SLO) June 06-15 - - men - - - 2003 Ljubljana (SLO) June 06-15 - - - women - - 27 2004 Madrid (ESP) May 05-16 swi div - - syn ows 28 2006 Budapest (HUN) July 25-August 06 swi div - - syn ows 2006 Belgrade (SRB) September 01-10 - - men women - - 29 2008 Eindhoven (NED) March 13-24 swi div - - syn - 2008 Malaga (ESP) July 04-13 - - men women - - 2008 Dubrovnik (CRO) September 09-14 - - - - - ows 2009 Turin (ITA) April 01-05 - div - - - - 30 2010 Budapest (HUN) August 04-15 swi div - - syn ows 2010 Zagreb (CRO) August 28-September 11 - - men women - - 2011 Turin (ITA) March 08-13 - div - - - - 2011 Eilat (ISR) September 07-11 - - - - - ows 2012 Eindhoven (NED) January 16-25 - - men women - - 31 2012 Debrecen (HUN) May 21-27 swi - - - - - 2012 Eindhoven (NED) May 15-20 - div - - - - 2012 Eindhoven (NED) May 23-27 - - - - syn - 2012 Piombino (ITA) September 12-16 - - - - - ows 2013 Rostock (GER) June 18-23 - div - - - - 2014 Budapest (HUN) July 14-27 - - men women - - 32 2014 Berlin (GER) August 13-24 swi div - - syn ows 2015 Rostock (GER) June 09-14 - div - - - - 2016 Belgrade (SRB) January 11-24 - - men women - - 33 2016 London (GBR) May 09-22 swi div - - syn - 2016 Hoorn (NED) July 10-14 - - - - - ows Number of Championships 33 37 32 16 21 16 LEN European Championships – All host cities since 1926 Events already allocated 2018 Barcelona (ESP) July 15-28 - - men women - - 34 2018 Glasgow/Edinburgh/ August 01-12 swi div - - syn ows Loch Lomond (GBR) Notes: From 1991 to 1994, LEN ran European short course (25m pool) Sprint Swimming Championships. Since 1996, LEN is running European short course Swimming Championships. Preview Five of seven title holders at last Olympic test Hoorn, Netherlands (LEN) – As in every Olympic year since the inauguration of the 10 km event to the Olympic programme in 2008, the European Open Water Championships are held separately from the events in swimming, diving and synchronised swimming. Just as in 2016, when the Dutch city of Hoorn at the Markermeer will be the host, following the Croatian City of Dubrovnik (2008) and the Italian City of Piombino four years ago. Hoorn with its course at the harbour already has been venue of the 2010 European Junior Open Water Swimming Championships. In addition, the 2016 issue will be the last chance for a pre-Olympic test in the 10 km event. And especially the women's event will be one of the highlights of the championships. With the London Olympic gold medallist Eva Risztov (Hungary), the 2014 European Champion Sharon van Rouwendaal (Netherlands) and last year’s World Champion Aurélie Muller (France) all title holders of the past three major meets will be present. The Dutch Sharon van Rouwendaal and her compatriot Ferry Weertman – 10km title-holders from Berlin 2014 – are the top favourites, not only in the 10 km events but also in the 5 km races. Though both local heroes will have to face tough opponents from the European open water swimming powerhouses like Italy (with altogether 56 medals since the inauguration of the championships in 1989), Germany (55 medals) and Russia (36 medals). In the seven events staged in Hoorn, five winners from the last edition in Berlin will try to retain their titles. Isabelle Haerle (Germany) the title-holder in the 5 km will focus on the 10 km event. Only Daniel Fogg (Great Britain), the surprising 5 km winner in 2014, has not entered the event in Hoorn, where 20 LEN member federations will be present. 10 km Women A strong field has come together for the women’s 10 km. Olympic Champion Eva Risztov, World Champion Aurelie Muller and title-holder Sharon van Rouwendaal form a very strong trio and will meet again later at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. But with Rachele Bruni (Italy), the 5 km title-holder Isabelle Haerle from Germany, the Hungarian Anna Olasz and Kalliopi Araouzou from Greece they will face a great line of challengers. And don't forget the 35 year-old Jana Pechanova from the Czech Republic, the young mother grabbed her first medal at European Championships in 2000 in Helsinki with a bronze in the 5 km event. 10 km Men The men’s 10 km event will also be a “home game” for Ferry Weertman. The greatest challenger for the defending title-holder and runner-up at the last year’s World Championships in Kazan is Spyridon Gianniotis from Greece. The 36 year-old World Champion in 2011 and 2103 took bronze at last year’s World Championships.