Spaniard Melquiades Álvarez Caraballo set a new European record in the men’s 200 metres breaststroke on a short-course at the XVIII Copa de España swim meet last Friday.

The 21-year-old of the CN Sant Andreu won in a time of 2:03.46 seconds and demolished France’s Hugues Duboscq mark by more than a second.

Also the former national record holder Sergio Garcia Ortiz [2:06.94, Madrid, 19.12.08] was under the previous European standard, finishing in 2:03.56.

The world record for this event belongs to American Ed Moses with 2:02.92 set at a World Cup meet in Berlin on January 17, 2004.

European record evolution (Time, Name/Nationality, Place, Date):
2:03.46 Melquiades Álvarez Caraballo ESP Sabadell 17.04.08
2:04.59 Duboscq Hugues FRA Rijeka 14.12.08
2:05.02 Giorgetti Edoardo ITA Genoa 28.11.08
2:05.49 Gyurta Daniel HUN Debrecen 16.12.07
2:05.63 Edmond Ian GBR Dublin 14.12.03
2:06.95 Podoprigora Maxim AUT Berlin 25.01.03

Also see:

SC Europeans, Dubosq sets 200 breaststroke record
Dec 14, 2008