Israeli swimmer Toumarkin falls short of podium at Short-Course Europeans
Yakov Toumarkin missed out on a medal at the European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Copenhagen by two seconds.
By ALLON SINAIIsraeli swimmer Yakov Toumarkin ended the 200-meter backstroke final at the European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Copenhagen yesterday in fourth place.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Yakov Toumarkin missed out on a medal at the European Short-Course Swimming Championships in Copenhagen by two seconds on Wednesday, ending the 200-meter backstroke final in fourth place in the opening day of competition in Denmark.The 25-year-old was hoping to emulate his success from the previous edition of the championships held at Wingate Institute in Netanya two years ago when he claimed the silver medal in the 200m back. However, his time of 1:51.05 minutes was 1.99 seconds slower than bronze medal winner, Danas Rapsys of Lithuania, with Radoslaw Kawecki of Poland taking the silver and 17-year-old Russian Kliment Kolesnikov claiming the gold.Toumarkin also won a silver in the 100m individual medley in Netanya two years ago, an event he is scheduled to contest later in the week in Copenhagen, with the championships to run until Sunday.Toumarkin is once more the leading swimmer in Israel’s delegation, which numbers eight swimmers in all.American coach David Marsh is guiding the blue-and-white team, his second major competition in charge after the world championships held in Budapest, Hungary this past summer.After the disappointment of the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Israeli Swimming Association decided to change course by hiring Marsh to be its top professional authority and lead Israeli swimming to Tokyo 2020. Leonid Kaufman was relieved from his role as the head coach of Israel’s national swimming team, a job he had held since 2007, as well as during much of the 1990’s.Marsh was the head coach of the US women’s team at the Rio Olympics and served as a men’s assistant coach for the 2012, 2000 and 1996 US Olympic teams.“As always in a competition like this what we are looking for first and foremost is to be ready to race well,” said Marsh ahead of the championships.“One of great things about the European Championships, especially in short-course, is it causes racing to be at its best. It is more explosive and powerful. I think our athletes are very confident in this setting and course and I expect us to be very competitive.”Toumarkin explained the difference in training under Marsh.“He has implemented the American training system that focuses on more racing also during training,” said Toumarkin. “We still aren’t seeing different results, but we the swimmers are definitely feeling it.Eventually it should all come together in a major championships and we will see his way is working.”Toumarkin is expecting to return from Copenhagen with at least one medal.“I have put my name down for a lot of events so that I’ll have options to choose during the championships,” said Toumarkin.“I will only be racing in events in which I feel I have a chance to win a medal.”
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