Belmonte Back in Form Blasting a 2:06.34 200 Butterfly in Barcelona

2016 XVII CTO. DE ESPAÑA “OPEN” ABSOLUTO DE PRIMAVERA (SPANISH OLYMPIC TRIALS)

• Saturday, March 19th – Tuesday, March 22nd
• Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
• Prelims at 10am local/Finals at 5:30pm local
• Meet Schedule
• Psych Sheets
• Results

After being forced to miss both the 2015 Spanish Championships and 2015 World Championships Mireia Belmonte has returned to form putting up a strong performance on the first day of the Spanish National Championships in Barcelona. Belmonte, who is entered in the 200m butterfly, 200/400 IM and 400/800/1500m freestyle, took the women’s 200 butterfly in a time of 2:06.34, which places her atop of the world rankings.

Belmonte made her return to competition in October racing the 5 km at the Catalan Winter Cup. Before today she only showed up in the world’s top five in the 1500 freestyle after posting a 16:19.71 in December.

Belmonte was not the only Spaniard to record a time under the FINA A standard of 2:09.33. Judit Ignacio, who swum both the 100 and 200 butterfly in London, finished second in a time of 2:09.15.

Belmonte also went on to win the women’s 800 freestyle posting a time of 8:27.94, which is under the FINA A standard of 8:33.97 and places her seventh in the world rankings. In a heart breaking swim Jimena Perez missed the A standard by one one-hundredths of a second finishing second in a time of 8:33.98.

Two other women punched their tickets to Rio bettering the FINA A standard. Jessica Vall recorded a time of 1:07.64 beating the A standard of 1:07.85 by 21 one-hundredths of a second. Africa Zamorano took the women’s 200 backstroke in a time of 2:09.96 bettering the A standard of 2:10.60.

Duane Da Rocha, who swum the 200 backstroke in London and won the event at the 2014 European Championships, miss the FINA A standard by four one-hundredths of a second touching in a time of 2:10.64.

The results of the men’s events on the first day of competition were extremely promising with four men qualifying for Rio, doubling the number of that represented Spain in 2012.

In the men’s 1500 freestyle there were three men under the A standard of 15:14.77. Cesar Castro won the event in a time of 15:08.01 followed by Marc Sanchez who touched in a time of 15:09.51 and Antonio Arroyo who hit the wall in a time of 15:11.17.

Carlos Peralta took the men’s 200 butterfly in a time of 1:56.78, beating the FINA A standard of 1:56.97. He just missed his own national record of 1:56.57, which he recorded in December.

Hugo Gonzalez won the men’s 200 backstroke in a time of 1:57.65, bettering the FINA A standard of 1:58.22.

Although she did not qualify for Rio Fatima Gallardo set a new Spanish record in the women’s 50 freestyle posting a 25.43 beating the previous record of 25.49 set by Arceli Herraez in 2009.

Konrad Czerniak of Poland won the men’s 50 freestyle in a time of 21.95, which places him eighth in the world rankings.

Guillermo Blanco took the men’s 100 breaststroke in a time of 1:02.24.