The Belgians in Rio: Timmers in the 100m freestyle final, Wickmayer and Flipkens beaten

Here is a summary of the performances of our Belgians during the Olympic Games on August 10.

Pieter Timmers in the 100m freestyle final

On Wednesday, all of Belgium will have their eyes riveted on the Olympic Aquatic Stadium in Rio, where Pieter Timmers will compete in the 100m freestyle final. The final of the queen event of swimming is scheduled for 11:03 p.m. local time, or 4:03 a.m. Thursday in Belgium.

On Tuesday, Timmers won his place in the final by signing the 6th time in the semi-finals: 48.14, offering himself a new Belgian record. He will probably have to go under 48 seconds to win a medal.

Emmanuel Vanluchene will be engaged in the 200m medley series, Fanny Lecluyse in the 200m breaststroke series.

Evi Van Acker and Wannes Van Laer will compete in the 5th and 6th sailing regattas. The first, bronze medal at the London Games four years ago, is 5th in Laser Radial. The second is 20th in Laser.

In tennis, David Goffin (ATP 13) will play his round of 16 men’s singles match against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci (ATP 54). In the event of victory, the Belgian number one could face the Spaniard Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.

The road cycling time trials will take place on Wednesday. Tim Wellens will defend the Belgian colors for the men, Ann-Sophie Duyck and Lotte Kopecky for the ladies.

In horse riding, Jorinde Verwimp will compete on the first day of dressage, on Tiamo.

Seppe Van Holsbeke, 32nd in the world, will begin his fencing tournament, the last of his career, against the American Eli Derschwitz (FIE 12).

Finally, the Sambadrome will see Robin Ramaekers (94th in the world) in action in the 32nd round of archery. He came out 42nd in qualifying. His opponent in 32nd is the Australian Ryan Tack (59th in the world). The 16th finals are also scheduled for Wednesday.

The Red Lions are in the quarters (1-0)

Against Australia, the Belgians have already validated their ticket for the quarter-finals even before facing Spain and New Zealand. Their tournament so far is just fabulous

David Goffin against Thomaz Bellucci in the round of 16

Thomaz Bellucci (ATP 54) will be the opponent of David Goffin (ATP 13) in the round of 16 of the Olympic tennis tournament. The Brazilian qualified on Tuesday by beating Uruguayan Pablo Cuevas (ATP 21) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in 2 hours and 22 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Goffin had risen to 8th by beating the Israeli Dudi Sela (ATP 65) on a double 6-3 in 1 hour and 11 minutes.

The 25-year-old from Liège has already faced the 28-year-old Brazilian three times. Bellucci won in 2013 in Auckland (7-6 (7/5), 6-2) but Goffin won the last two duels, in 2015 in Gstaad (6-4, 6-2) and in January of this year in Brisbane (6-4, 6-4).

The meetings in Auckland and Brisbane took place on hard courts, like in Rio.

Wickmayer and Flipkens beaten but satisfied with their performance

The Games are over for Yanina Wickmayer and Kirsten Flipkens. The two Belgians, already eliminated in singles, were taken out in the second round of the ladies’ doubles by the Spaniards Garbine Muguruza and Carla Suarez Navarro on Tuesday. The Spanish pair, seeded N.4, won in three sets 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.

« We fought, we gave everything, » said Yanina Wickmayer after the match. « We played a solid game, but it wasn’t enough to win. »

The Belgians led early in the game, taking the lead at 3-0 in the first set. « We did the right thing right from the start, » adds Wickmayer. “We played aggressively, we were good from baseline to net. Play together ».

« Too bad we fell to the Spaniards in the 2nd round. With another draw we would have had a better chance. But I don’t think we could have done more. Maybe that’s the most important thing » , adds Wickmayer.

For Kirsten Flipkens, it was the second game of the day. A few hours earlier, she had been eliminated in the third round of singles by the German Laura Siegemund (4-6, 3-6).

If she feels physically OK, Flipkens was still concerned about a gluteus muscle injury. Wickmayer again suffered from the tendon.

« I was treated well after my singles match, » Flipkens said. « The question of whether I was going to play the double did not arise, I was going to do it. I was especially embarrassed on the serve. When you play against Muguruza and Suarez Navarro, you notice that they often play together, which which also allows them to go to the Masters ».

The Belgian pair received a wild card for the doubles, after another duo withdrew. They were therefore unable to prepare specifically. « When you’re invited at the last minute, you have to make do with what you have, » says Flipkens. « We weren’t 100% prepared but it didn’t show at all, » according to Flipkens. « We played a very good game ».

Flipkens, 30, was playing his first Games in Rio. « It was very nice to be here, it’s a great experience. But everything has an end. Now I’m going to see other sports. There’s plenty to do here ».

Belgium 8th in the 4×200 freestyle

Belgium placed 8th, and last, in the final of the 4x200m freestyle relay at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday. Louis Croenen, Dieter Dekoninck, Glenn Surgeloose and Pieter Timmers clocked 7:11.64. The United States won in 7:00.66, allowing Michael Phelps to collect a 21st Olympic gold medal.

Great Britain (7:03.13) and Japan (7:03.50) climb on the 2nd and 3rd steps of the podium.

Pieter Timmers, who had not taken part in the qualification of the Belgians, replaced Emmanuel Vanluchene in the final. The Limburger had played earlier in the evening in the semi-finals of the 100m freestyle. He became the first Belgian swimmer qualified for the queen event of swimming with the added bonus of a new Belgian record (48.14).

Louis Croenen had also already dived into the Olympic basin on Tuesday. He took 8th place, in 1:57.04, in the 200m butterfly final, won in 1:53.36 by Michael Phelps.

In the series, the Belgians had achieved a series time of 7:08.72, close to the national record set at the European Championships in London in 7:08.28. Monday evening, the Belgians had decided to forfeit this 4×200. A decision justified by Tuesday’s program which included the series and semi-finals of the 100m freestyle and the final of the 200m butterfly. But after reflection and given the storm of protests thus aroused, the reverse gear had been engaged.

The Belgians took 12th place in the 4×200 free in 2012 at the London Games.

The Belgian swimmers (Vanluchene, Surgeloose, Timmers and Jasper Aerents) ranked 6th in the 4x100m freestyle final in Rio.

Louis Croenen 8th in the 200 butterfly final

Louis Croenen finished 8th in the 200m butterfly final at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. He clocked 1:57.04 in a final won by Michael Phelps. The American won in 1:53.36, ahead of Japan’s Masato Sakai (1:53.40) and Hungary’s Tamas Kenderesi (1:53.62).

Phelps won his 20th Olympic gold medal. He won the 200m butterfly for the third time after Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.

Croenen, who swam in 1:56.03 in the semi-finals, holds the Belgian record for the distance (achieved in Kazan on August 5 last year in 1:55.39). He will compete later in the evening in the final of the 4x200m freestyle relay.