2016 Olympic champion Mireia Belmonte is one of six Spanish swimmers who have been confirmed for the upcoming Short Course World Championships, which will take place December 11-16 in Hangzhou, China.
Joining Belmonte on Spain’s roster will be Catalina Corró, Marina Garcia, Jessica Vall, Jimena Pérez and Joan Lluis Pons. The official team will be named after Spanish Winter Nationals, which takes place November 15-18 in Barcelona, as additional swimmers can qualify there.
At the last version of the SC World Championships in Windsor (December 2016), Belmonte had bronchitis and subsequently scratched a number of events, only contesting the 400 IM (5th) and the 200 fly (19th).
However, prior to that she was wildly successful at the championships, winning four golds in 2014 in Doha in the 400 free, 800 free, 200 fly and 400 IM, and another three at the 2010 championships in Dubai (200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM).
It looks like she’ll renew her rivalry with Hungarian Katinka Hosszu in Hangzhou, as she beat the three-time Olympic champion head-to-head in Doha in both the 200 fly and 400 IM, setting the world record in both (and stealing Hosszu’s record in the latter). Hosszu did, however, dominate the 2016 championships with a record seven gold and nine total medals.
Currently, the 27-year-old Belmonte holds the SC world records in the 400, 800 and 1500 free, the 200 fly and the 400 IM.
