2019 GENEVA INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE MEET (CHALLENGE INTERNATIONAL DE GENÉVE)
- Friday, January 18th – Sunday, January 20th
- Geneva, Switzerland
- LCM
- Meet Site
- Start Lists
- Live Stream
- Day 1 Prelims Recap/Day 1 Finals Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Recap/Day 2 Finals Recap
- Results
Day 3 Prelims Highlights
Young stars Thomas Ceccon and Federico Burdisso of Italy were both in the water to wrap up the last prelims session of this year’s Geneva International Challenge Meet.
Northwestern University-bound Burdisso got into 2 finals for tonight’s session, earning the top seed of the men’s 18&U 200m fly final in a time of 2:07.69. He also cleared most of the field of the men’s open 50m freestyle, claiming the 3rd seed in 23.11.
The top swimmer of the morning in that men’s 50m free was Marseille’s Yonel Govindin, who collected the pole position in 23.03, followed by teammate Clement Mignon and his morning time of 23.09.
Mehdy Metella is also in the men’s 50m freestyle mix with a casual 23.18 morning swim, while the aforementioned Youth Olympic Games breakout tar, Ceccon, landed the 6th seed in 23.36.
Additional top seeds included Martina Carraro leading the women’s 100m breast field in 1:10.77, while Andrea Castello was quickest in the men’s edition in 1:03.27.
Scottish Swimming’s Ellie Turner, just 15 years of age, produced a solid 100m backstroke of 1:05.16 to lead the junior final, while Melanie Henique raced to the 50m freestyle top slot in 25.53.
Of note, Algerian Oussama Sahnoune, who races with the CN Marseille, was slated to race here in Geneva, including this men’s 50m free sprint, but wound up not competing.
Burdisso has a fantastic attitude: in January, after 5 races already swum, he’s begun the grueling 200 fly with the usual guts (25.14 first 50, 54.43 at 100). Obviously his last 50 was difficult (32.08), but swimming 1.57.14 (new meet record also for the Open’s category, previously 1.57.37 by Cseh..) now is great, really great.
And all his meet (today 22.86 in the 50 free, yesterday 23.95 PB in the 50 fly and so on) has been great.
Ceccon is an amazing talent for his own: the way he’s swum the 100 back (27.08 then a huge 27.77) is a clear demonstration of swimming easiness.