Greek swimmer Anna Doudounaki has qualified for the final of the women’s 100-meter butterfly at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris after setting a new national record in her semi-final heat on Thursday night.
The 30-year-old, who shared the gold medal in the event at the 2020 European Championships, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, clocked 56.99 seconds to finish second in her heat and record the third-fastest time among the finalists.
Defending champion Roos Vanotterdijk of Belgium was the fastest qualifier, equaling Swedish swimmer Sara Sjöström’s championship record of 55.89 seconds. Germany’s Angelina Köhler was the second-fastest qualifier in 56.79 seconds.
Doudounaki’s previous personal best of 57.25 seconds was set in the semi-finals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, where she narrowly missed out on a place in the final.
The final, scheduled for Friday evening, will also feature a second Greek swimmer, Georgia Damasioti, who clocked 57.87 seconds to secure the eighth and final qualifying spot.
