Belmonte Swims 4th-Fastest 400 IM on Final Day of Spanish Open

2019 Spanish Open Swimming Championship

• April 6th-10th, 2019
• Sabadell, Spain
• Long Course (50m)
• Meet Site
• Results/Psychs
• Prelims at 3:30am ET, Finals at 11:30am ET (9:30am/5:30pm in Spain)

After failing to qualify for the World Championships in her best event, the 200 fly, Mireia Belmonte bounced back and gained her 3rd Worlds-qualifying event in the 400 IM. This is also Belmonte’s 6th gold of the Spanish Open after winning the 400 free, 800 free, 1500 free, 200 fly, and 200 IM. Belmonte won the event in a 4:36.09, swimming under the qualifying time of 4:38.53. That time now ranks as the 4th-fastest time in the world this year. This 400 IM win now marks Belmonte’s 124th national title.

This is also Belmonte’s 3rd qualifying event for this summer’s World Championships in Gwangju. Along with the 400 IM, Belmonte will be scheduled to swim the 800 free and 1500 free.

In the same race, 18-year-old Serbian Anja Crevar set a new Serbian national record with her second place time of 4:38.72. Despite falling short of qualifying for Worlds, her new national mark is now the 9th-fastest time in the world this year.

In the men’s 400 IM, 19-year-old Javier Chacon won his second event of the Spanish Open. Chacon won with a 4:17.98, which is the 19th-fastest time in the world this year. Earlier in the meet, Chacon won the 200 fly in a 1:58.10. Chacon was able to run down favored swimmers Joan Lluis Pons (4:22.65), the Spanish national record-holder, and Hugo Gonzalez (4:27.50), the 2017 junior world champion. Also defeating Lluis Pons and Gonzalez was runner-up Alex Castejon (4:20.47).

More Day 5 Highlights:

• Joan Ballester won his second breaststroke event of the meet in another close race. Ballester out-touched Mario Navea by one one-hundredth to win with a 1:02.58. Earlier in the meet, Ballester won the 200 breast with a 2:13.66.
• Also earning a second victory was Africa Zamorano, who won the 100 back with a 1:01.74. Zamorano won the 200 back in a 2:09.63, but broke the Spanish Open record in prelims with a 2:09.60. In the same race, 17-year-old Paula Rodriguez re-broke her day-old junior championship record with a 1:01.83.
• Jessica Vall was the third swimmer to win 2 single-stroke events. After crushing her own Spanish-national record in the 50 breast, Vall won the 100 breast with a 1:08.47.
• Miguel Duran successfully won his 3rd freestyle event of the meet, winning the 200 free with a time fo 1:48.88. Duran now adds this victory to his previous wins in the 400 free and 800 free.
• In the final of the women’s 50 fly, Judit Ignacio toppled 50/100 free champ Lidon Munoz 27.27 to 27.45.
• The second junior championship record of the meet was in the women’s 800 free relay. The winning relay from Gredos San Diego (Lanza, Garcia, Ortega, Sanchez) won with a 8:24.68, breaking the 2017 mark of 8:27.16. This is now the team’s third junior championship record after eclipsing records in the 400 free relay and the 400 medley relay.

Updated 2019 Worlds Roster

• Women’s 800 Free: Mireia Belmonte (8:32.29)
• Women’s 200 Breast: Marina Garcia (2:24.06)
• Women’s 1500 Free: Mireia Belmonte (16:13.20), Jimena Perez (16:19.32)
• Women’s 400 IM: Mieria Belmonte (4:36:09)

Prelims Qualifying Swimmers Awaiting Invitation

• Hugo Gonzalez : 200 IM (1:59.48)
• Africa Zamorano : 200 back (2:09.60)
• Jessica Vall :  100 breast (1:07.40)
• Juan Segura Gutierrez: 50 back (25.11)