Dubai-based Velimir Stjepanovic earned a second gold at the European Championships in Berlin when he won the 200m freestyle final, redeeming his near-miss in the 200m butterfly qualifying earlier yesterday.

Stjepanovic edged world record holder Paul Biedermann by two hundredths of a second with a time of 1:45.78, compared to the 
German’s touch at 1:45.80.

The pair had an even closer finish than their clash in the semi-finals, when Biedermann beat Stjepanovic by a tenth of a second. 

“It went 90 per cent to plan where the first 100 metres I took it out much harder than I did for the semi-final yesterday,” the 21-year-old UAE-born Serbian told Sport360°. “Then I brought it back and was kind of even with Biedermann at 150 metres when I was hoping to be a little in front but I actually fought back and beat him on the touch.”

“I always had a little bit left in the semi-finals but used my pent-up anger and that paid off for me very well.”

That anger came from just falling short in the 200m butterfly heats in the morning, when he missed qualifying for the semi-final by five hundredths of a second.

“I tried some different tactics. I tried to just make it and not put everything into it so I could use the rest of my strength for the evening swim, but I just missed,” said Stjepanovic. “It’s a shame but I put everything into the 200 freestyle instead and it worked out for me.”

Watch Stjepanovic swim to gold: