Portuguese swimmer Francisca Martins narrowly missed a spot in the 200 meters freestyle semifinals at the European Short Course Championships in Lublin, Poland on Wednesday.
Martins, a national record holder, finished just 0.35 seconds shy of qualifying for the next round. She completed her heat in 1 minute, 56.80 seconds.
This performance placed her 20th in the preliminary heats. She will serve as the first alternate for the semifinals.
Her time was less than one second slower than her personal best, which stands at 1 minute, 55.91 seconds.
Earlier in the competition, 19-year-old Vasco Morgado finished 35th in the 100 meters individual medley heats. He recorded a time of 55.40 seconds, well off his personal best of 53.64 seconds.
The Portuguese mixed 4×50 meters individual medley relay team also competed. João Costa, Ana Pinho Rodrigues, Ana Guedes, and Miguel Nascimento finished 15th in their heats. Their combined time was 1 minute, 42.21 seconds.
Looking ahead, European long course champion Camila Rebelo is set to compete in the 200 meters backstroke final. She enters the final with the fourth best qualifying time. The final is scheduled for 7:10 PM local time in Lublin on Wednesday.