Daria Golovaty's push for a first individual final at a major long-course championship fell agonisingly short in Paris on Wednesday, with the Israeli sprinter touching seventh in her semi-final heat and 14th overall in the women's 200m freestyle at the European Aquatics Championships, according to ONE.
Golovaty actually swam faster than she had in the morning, clocking 1:58.48 in the evening semi-final, but it was not enough to break into the top eight who go through to the final. It capped a frustrating night for an athlete who had arrived in the French capital swimming some of the best times of her career.
She had been the standout of the morning session, winning her preliminary heat in 1:58.72 and shaving 1.3 seconds off her seed time - a swim that briefly put her name near the top of the psych sheets before a stronger semi-final field caught up with her, according to SwimSwam's live coverage from the Paris Aquatic Centre.
Born in Ukraine, the 20-year-old Golovaty has held Israeli citizenship since 2006 and swims domestically for Hapoel Bat Yam; she now competes collegiately in the United States for the University of Louisville. She has already won national titles over 200m and 400 yards freestyle in Israel and placed fifth in this same event at the 2024 European Championships in Belgrade, meaning a place in a European final has narrowly eluded her for two summers running.
Israel's medal hopes at these championships instead now rest with Anastasia Gorbenko, who advanced to the 400m individual medley final from seventh place in the morning heats in 4:42.23. Gorbenko, the defending European champion in the event, was due back in the pool for the final at 20:54 local time.
A podium finish for Gorbenko would give Israel its first medal of the meet in Paris - a result that would ease the disappointment of a night in which Golovaty came desperately close to a first individual major final of her senior career, only to fall just short.
