Kamminga starts hunting for world title with fastest time in 100 meter breaststroke series | NOW

Arno Kamminga convincingly started the World Swimming Championships in Budapest on Saturday. The Dutchman, who can become world champion in the Hungarian capital, recorded the fastest time in the 100-meter breaststroke series.

Kamminga tapped in the Duna Arena after 58.69 seconds and so sovereignly went on to the semi-finals, which are scheduled for Saturday evening. Sunday is the final battle. The American Nic Fink set the second fastest time of all series with 58.81 and Michael Adrew, also an American, completed the top three.

The 26-year-old Kamminga, who took silver in the 100 and 200-meter breaststroke at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last year, is not the only Dutchman who has made it to the semifinals in the 100-meter breaststroke.

Caspar Corbeau clocked the sixth time (58.89) and finished second behind Andrew in his series. Corbeau, 21, was born in the United States, but represents the Netherlands.

Kamminga is a contender for the world title in Budapest in both the 100 and 200 meters. Last year in Tokyo, the Katwijker had to acknowledge his superiority in the 100 meters in the British Adam Peaty and Fink was too fast in the 200 meters. Peaty will not compete in Budapest after he did a lot of things outside the pool after his Olympic title and broke a bone in his foot during a weight training session at the gym last month.

Korstanje and Steenbergen also go to semi-finals

More Dutch people took action on Saturday morning on the first day on which long track swimming is on the World Cup agenda. Nyls Korstanje qualified for the semi-finals in the 50 meter butterfly. He was good for the ninth time in the series (23.27) and with that he was four tenths slower than Dylan Carter. The swimmer from Trinidad and Tobago headed 22.87.

The American defending champion Caeleb Dressel tapped after 22.88 seconds. Thomas Verhoeven came up short for a sequel. He recorded 23.64 and that was the 23rd time.

In the women’s competition, Marrit Steenbergen reached the semi-finals in the 200-meter medley. She clocked the fifth time (2.10.60), while American Alex Walsh was the fastest in the series in 2.09.41.