Zirk admitted he had been nervous before the start but was satisfied with his morning swim. "It went fine. It wasn't easy, but it wasn't very difficult either. I've competed less this season, so there were some nerves and jitters before the start," Zirk told ERR.

The Estonian said he had not yet shown everything he had in the heats and could improve in the evening semifinal. "Morning and evening swims are so different. The whole approach, the mental side. It's very different. I didn't use all my tricks in the morning," he said.

Zirk had no specific target time before the start, admitting he did not know exactly what kind of shape he was currently in. "I didn't really have any expectations; it was difficult to expect anything. I didn't know myself where I was at the moment. The realistic goal was to advance, and I managed that comfortably," he said.

Italy's Alberto Razzetti was fastest in 1:54.64.

Zirk's PB in the 200m butterfly is 1:54.22, set at the semifinals of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Christopher Palvadre sets new domestic record

Of other Estonian competitors, Christopher Palvadre set a new Estonian record in the men's 50m breaststroke with a time of 27.70, finishing 29th overall though missing the semifinals. Kristjan Reivart placed 41st in 27.91 and Ralf Roose 45th in 28.04. Italy's Simone Cerasuolo was fastest in 26.20.

In the women's 50m freestyle, Egle Salu finished 46th in 26.79, with the Netherlands' Milou van Wijk fastest in 24.13. In the women's 100m backstroke, Maari Randväli placed 25th in 1:02.13 and Margaret Markvardt 36th in 1:03.73.

Zirk's 200m butterfly semifinal takes place at 8:25 p.m. Estonian time Friday. The European Championships continue through August 16.

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