Shai Livnat sets new national mark in 200m freestyle

By ALLON SINAI
Shai Livnat capped a successful European Short Course Swimming Championships for the Israeli team on Sunday night after setting a new Israeli record and finishing sixth in the 200-meter freestyle final in Finland. The 22-year-old, who qualified for Sunday's final with a personal best and the third-fastest time, swam even quicker in the evening race. Livnat's 1 minute 45.64 seconds in the final was 1.15 seconds away from a medal, and he had to settle for sixth place. Livnat's achievement joins the earlier successes of Anya Gostomelsky, who took part in three finals and won a bronze medal in the 50m backstroke, and Miki Malul, who came in fourth in his one and only final, the 50m breaststroke, giving Israel one of its best showings at international championships in recent memory.