Last night, four age group world records and three national age group records fell at the 2019 World Master Swimming Championships, as the sport’s seasoned veterans convened in Gwangju to continue showcasing their talents.
Giving masters an opportunity to compete on the international stage, the World Masters Swimming Championship has garnered a surplus of attention from the global swim community. With this meet serving as a case study for the league, swim fans are privy to the special evolution of masters swimming, which is consistently growing, evolving, and churning out more and more impressive athletes. Tonight’s storyline aligns perfectly, as more age group world and championship records were rewritten in today’s session.
Men’s 50 Free
Tancho Tenev opened up the men’s schedule with the 90-94 age group win, going 1:20.48 to earn gold for Bulgaria. Egypt’s Ahmed Fouad followed up with an impressive swim of his own, clocking in at 44.68 after fending off Slovenia’s Marjan Lapajne (48.74) for the 85-89 win.
Fouad’s compatriot, Ahmed Hamada, turned in a 35.94 to earn top honors in the 80-84 age class; while Israel’s Yoni Tadir sprinted to a 32.39 for the 75-79 age group victory.
Lee Childs of the United States is holding up well after a grueling four days of competition, earning another gold with a 29.31 in the 70-74 age class. The U.S. continued to dominate from there, sweeping 1-4 in the 65-69 age division, with Tate Holt (27.95) emerging as victor.
Egypt continued to impress, as Nabil Ibrahim (27.25) managed to get his hand on the wall first in the 60-64 age bracket, showcasing Egypt’s depth in sprint free. South Africa’s Calvin Maughan turned in an impressive performance in the 55-59 competition, posting a 25.31 for the win and a new South African record.
Finland cinched its first gold of the night courtesy of Tommy Juhani Rundgren, whose 25.31 placed him at the top of the 50-54 age bracket.
In one of the most climactic races of the night, Japan’s Hideaki Hara seized a decisive win in the 45-49 class, maintaining an uncanny stroke rate to finish with a 23.55 while resetting the age group world record previously held by Vladimir Predkin at 23.98.
South Africa’s Marc Kevin Allan furthered an already impressive individual schedule with another victory, as his time of 24.36 was good enough for the 40-44 age group win. Filipe Faraon was not to be ignored, as the Brazilian sprinting stalwart cranked out a 23.55 to take the 35-39 section while resetting the championship record.
Japan’s Ryo Higuchi edged out Viacheslav Semhaikin (23.70) for the 30-34 age group win, crashing the pads with a 23.63; while Sweden’s Linus Magnusson rounded out the event with the 25-29 victory, surging to a 23.32.
Women’s 50 Free
Japan’s Toshiko Amano took the 90-94 age group with a 1:49.07, and Chile’s Eliana Bea Busch Herrera took the 85-89 age bracket with a 51.12.
Japan continued to establish its dominance with another win by Yoshiko Osaki, whose 38.26 shattered the championship age group record and earned her top honors in the 80-84 age group.
Canada’s Georgina Lopez struck once again, this time with a championship age group record, as she crashed the pads with a time of 35.35 to take the 75-79 age division win.
South Africa forced its name back on the scene with a standout performance from Sanderina Kruger, who clocked in at 33.05 to seal the victory in the 70-74 age group while nabbing the championship age group record. Australia went 1-2 in the next age bracket, with Susan Swire-Thompson reserving the top step of the podium with a 33.58.
Elin Knag singlehandedly put Norway in the mix, clocking in at 31.01 to better her closest competitor’s mark by half a second to cinch the 60-64 age group win.
Italy’s Carola Castelli (29.78) reemerged as a force to be reckoned with in the 55-59 age group, as she posted the only time under :30 in her division. Annete Philipsson followed up with an equally impressive performance in the 50-54 division, finishing with a 28.33 to clinch the win.
Great Britain gained momentum with Michelle Ware’s performance in the 45-49 bracket, as she churned out a 28.36 to claim gold. Ekaterina Yudina from Russia locked up the 40-44 age group victory, dropping a 27.53.
Spain’s Elder Fuentes cinched a narrow victory in the 35-39 age class, finishing strong to post a 27.18. Suvi Pulkkinen from Finland claimed the gold in the 30-34 age group, dropping a 26.44 to edge out Argentina’s Manuela Morano (26.44). Germnay’s Jennifer Thater rounded out the event with an easy victory in the 25-29 age division, clocking in at 26.19.
Men’s 200 IM
Australia’s Bill Walker claimed another gold medal after dropping an 8:43.25 in the men’s 90-94 age group 200 IM. His compatriot, Patrick Galvin, dominated the 85-59 division with a 4:24.40.
Australia held its winning streak courtesy of a big swim from John Cocks, whose 3:37.84 landed him at the top of the 80-84 class. Spain’s Joaquin Canales is handling his loaded schedule with ease, tallying another win with a time of 3:24.60.
The United States’ Lee Childs withstood the quick event turnaround, clocking in at 2:57.49 for the 70-74 age group championship; while Israel’s Dov Nisman looked fresh in the 65-69 age group, seizing a decisive victory with a time of 2:43.06.
Djan Marduga represented Brazil as the swimming powerhouse it is, cruising to a time of 2:32.35 for the 60-64 division win. Legend Carlo Travaini of Italy defended his honor in the 55-59 section, crashing the pads with a time of 2:24.41.
New Zealand native, Brent Foster, split a beautiful race to arrive at a final time of 2:21.80, good enough for the 50-54 age group win. Russia’s Sergei Firichenko made the race all his own in the 45-49 division, clocking in at 2:21.57.
Claus Lerche Iverson of Denmark continued to turn heads in the 40-44 age bracket, posting a 2:13.98 to take it all. Another recurring name, Ioannis Drymonakos, landed at the top of the 35-39 age division, as the Greece native dropped a smooth race with a final time of 2:09.85.
China’s Han Sun brought the heat with a stellar time of 2:10.36 to win the 30-34 age division, earning his victory with an aggressive breaststroke leg to surge past Edgaras Stura (2:11.53). Japan’s Ryhuhei Shirai rounded out the event with an impressive 2:13.86 of his own, earning top honors in the 25-29 age group.
Women’s 200 IM
Hungary’s Katharina Flora made her presence known once again in the 85-89 age division, turning in a 3:54.86 200 IM to nab the age group world record. Slashing Jane Asher’s mark of 4:12.71, Flora made history in Gwangju.
Australia’s Denise Robertson took the podium immediately after, boasting a time of 4:30.50 to take the 80-84 age group win.
Daniela Barnea from the United States was the only woman under 4:00 in the 75-79 division. Not only that, but she was well under the mark, posting a 3:42.30 for the win.
Germany’s Brigitte Merten continues to rake in hardware, earning top honors in the 70-74 section with a time of 3:24.21. Mexico’s Laura Vaca is also no stranger to the medal ceremony, as her 3:05.12 bettered the rest of the field by over ten seconds in the 65-69 category while also resetting the age group championship record.
Bonnie Lynn Spivey of the United States forced her name on the scene once again, as she cruised to a final time of 2:53.62 to take the 60-64 age group victory. Germany’s Susanne Reibel-Oberle followed up with a 2:39.07 in the 55-59 division after jumping to an early lead, seizing the championship record in the process. Her compatriot, Claudia Thielemann, won the 50-54 category in similar fashion, finishing with a 2:37.79 to lock down gold.
Britain’s Helen Gorman dominate the next age bracket, attaining a commanding lead after the first 100 and eventually clocking in at 2:33.43. Croatia’s Smiljana Marinovic came home strong to seize top honors in the 40-44 division, building to a 2:26.84 while slashing the previous championship record.
Britain’s Hayley Davis held off Germany’s Susan Przywara (2:36.87) to win the 35-39 age group, churning out an impressive back half to finish with a 2:33.64. Sarra Lajnef of the United Arab Emirates cinched a narrow victory in the 30-34 age class, dropping a 2:26.96. America’s Rachel Ripley sent the meet into its next event with a blazing 2:23.39, resetting the 25-29 age group championship record after surging past the competition during the breaststroke leg.
Men’s 100 Fly
Bill Lauer opened up the men’s 100 fly with a massive swim for the 85-89 age division. Clocking in at 2:00.90, Lauer sealed the win by a huge margin. David Cumming faced a different fate, as he came from behind to lock up the win for the 80-84 age group, making up a 2.26 second differential to seize the title.
The Czech Republic’s Rudolf Smerda took it all in the 75-79 age category, going out quickly and somehow managing to maintain speed, posting a 1:23.31 as a result. Alan Bernard was the man to beat in the next bracket, as he surged ahead of the competition to drop a 1:20.11 for the win.
Israel’s Dov Nisman recorded an impressive performance in the 65-69 age group, chasing Britain’s Graeme Milne (1:12.96) after the first 50. Exhibiting stellar closing speed, Nisman managed to pull ahead, finishing with a time of 1:10.99 for the win and championship record. Hugo Bregman of the Netherlands showed similar resilience, dropping an impressive final lap to finish with a winning time of 1:04.47 in the 60-64 age group.
Brazil’s Marcus Mattioli had his hands full with Fred Schuster of the U.S., but ultimately managed to pull out the win with a time of 1:02.91 in the 55-59 age division. The 50-54 race was similarly loaded, with Andrea Toja (1:02.57) edging out Aris Ioannidis (1:03.10) in the final ten meters.
Frederic Tonus put Luxembourg on the radar with a huge swim in the 45-49 age division. His victory over Greece’s Vasileios Kapenis (58.80) was imperceptible to the naked eye, as the two went stroke for stroke in a climactic sprint to the finish.
Ioan Stefan Gherghel earned Romania’s first gold medal of the meet in the 40-44 age category, tying the championship record of 57.30. After clocking an impressive initial split in the 35-39 race, Russia’s Nikolay Skvortsov managed to continue lengthening his lead with every stroke, finishing with a time of 54.67.
The Ukraine’s Viacheslav Semhaikin (54.61) dominated in the 30-34 age bracket, and the Czech Republic’s Jens Braun (57.89) finished off the event with a massive win in the 25-29 age group.
Women’s 100 Fly
The Czech Republic’s Marcela Stastna (2:10.70) took advantage of clean water, as she made the event all her own in the 80-84 age group of the women’s 100 fly. Seiko Hasebe of Japan was the only woman under 2:00 in the 75-79 division, clocking a 1:58.24 for a decisive victory.
Brigitte Merten (1:37.16) emerged victorious once again, as the German butterfly stalwart claimed another title in the 70-74 age group. Mexico’s Laura Vaca is similarly sweeping the 65-69 age division events, tallying another win with a time of 1:24.37.
Russia’s Laria Nagovitsyna (1:17.85) went out aggressively and still managed to drop a 1:17.85 for the 60-64 age group win. Maria Espe Hung Oleksiuk opted for a more conservative strategy and turned in a 1:18.47 of her own, winning for the 55-59 age class.
Franca Bosisio reset championship age group record with a blazing time of 1:08.00, holding Kristin Jan Gary (1:12.24) at bay to cinch the win. Spain’s Montse Gomariz built to an impressive finish, posting a 1:09.62 to take the 45-49 age group win.
Portugal’s Susana Gomes made her presence known in the 40-44 age group, as she maintained a consistent, quick stroke tempo to turn in a winning time of 1:08.18. Malaysia’s Cindy Ong reemerged in the 35-39 age division, going 1:05.95 for the win.
Argetina’s Manuela Morano (1:05.33) fought her way to the top of a packed heat, crashing the pads with a time of 1:05.33 for the 30-34 age division championship. Thailand’s Patarawadee Kittiya finished the night on a high note, going 1:02.25 to nab the gold in the 25-29 age category.
Dov Nisman of Israel already on 5 gold medals in 5 starts.
3000 open water
800 free
400 IM
200 IM
100 Fly
Without relays.
FYI…Cindy Ong for women’s 100 fly is from Malaysia not Singapore
Go Lee…. WAHOOOOO!!!!