MEXICO CITY, Mexico – University of Houston rising sophomore Sharo Rodriguez will represent her native country of Mexico at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia, the Federación Mexicana de Natación announced today. Rodriguez will swim in the 100-meter butterfly, which will be held Aug. 2-3, and the 200-meter butterfly, which runs Aug. 5-6.
Rodriguez joins Houston teammate Micaela Bouter, who will dive in the 1-meter springboard event from July 26-28, and the 3-meter competition, which will be held July 31 – Aug. 1. Overall, the 2015 FINA World Championships will be held July 24 – Aug. 9.
The Queretaro, Mexico, native qualified for the World Championships after a successful run at the Olimpiada Nacional 2015 (Mexican National Meet) in April. The 2015 All-American Athletic Conference selection earned a podium spot in two events, placing second in the 17-18 age group in both the 100-meter butterfly with a swim of 1:02.36, and the 200-meter butterfly, swimming the race in 2:18.61.
With her inclusion on Mexico’s World Championships squad, Rodriguez will no longer compete in the 2015 World University Games in Gwangju City, South Korea, as originally scheduled.
The Houston Swimming & Diving program has a rich history of sending student-athletes, alumni and coaches into international competition, including 21 Olympians. Bouter and Rodriguez are the first Cougars to compete at the FINA World Championships since 2011, when divers Julia Lonnegren (Sweden) and Anastasia Pozdniakova (Russia) participated in Shanghai, China. Houston representatives last medaled at the event in 2009, when Pozdniakova won bronze in the 3-meter synchronized event and Yulia Pakhalina (Russia) finished with gold in the 1-meter springboard.
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Swimming news courtesy of University of Houston Swimming.
New Head Coach Ryan Wochomurka seems to be doing an awesome job already getting one athlete to World Championships his first summer on campus. Look out for the Coogs!!!