Canadian swimmer Mabel Zavaros, who will begin her collegiate career at Florida in the fall, swam a lifetime best in the 1500 free on Thursday evening at the 2018 Pro Swim Series meet in Santa Clara, California by 9 seconds, but she didn’t do it in the traditional way that one swims a personal best in the 1500 free.
That is to say, she swam the last 50 butterfly. After 16+ minutes of swimming, she still had the energy to split 30.99 in that last 50, which, by the way, was the fastest closing split of the entire field. We presume the rest of the field finished with freestyle, though we don’t have video of every race to be certain.
It was also Zavaros’ personal second-fastest split, behind her 30.31 leadoff.
Her final time of 16:51.54 improved upon her previous lifetime best of 17:00.26. One half of a set of twins, Mabel Zavaros is a versatile swimmer who especially excels in the 200 meter strokes and 400 IM events. Her best 200 fly time is 2:08.71, done at the Commonwealth Games earlier this year.
Zavaros trains with the Oakville Aquatic Club in Ontario, and was a member of Canada’s team at the 2017 World Junior Championships, where she won gold in the 800 free relay and mixed 400 free relay and finished 4th in the 200 fly; and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where she was 6th in the 200 fly and 8th in the 100 fly.
Watch the video of Zavaros’ swim below. The fly begins at around the 16:30 mark of the video.
this is insane… think she’d be able to challenge Hannah Saiz with a 400 fly?
Saiz has done what? One 400m fly? 30-and-change final 50 of a 1500m swim is WAY more impressive.
I see you’re 400FLY and raise you….
http://dailynews.openwaterswimming.com/2017/09/brutal-butterfly-in-open-water.html
DAYumn! Now THAT’s pretty impressive too.
those crazy Oakville kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RXaprOHFtk&t=2s
This is the best full view of a 1500 fly on Internet. Incredible what these kids did.
My actual idol. She’s going to be a major threat in the future
That is disgusting