Chile’s Kristel Kobrich Qualifies for 11th World Championships at Age 37

Kristel Kobrich is slated to extend her own record after qualifying for her 11th World Championships in two events at last weekend’s Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont.

Last year, the 37-year-old Chilean distance specialist became the first swimmer with 10 appearances at World Championships, dating back to 2003. 

Kobrich clocked an 8:37.18 in the women’s 800 free on the opening night of the meet, sneaking under the 2023 World Championships ‘A’ cut of 8:37.90. The five-time Olympian placed third behind Beatriz Dizotti (8:32.93) and Leah Smith (8:28.23). 

Then Kobrich closed out her week in Westmont with a runner-up finish in the 1500 free, posting a 16:10.58 that was well under the 2023 Worlds ‘A’ cut of 16:29.57. She reached the wall just about a second and a half shy of the Paris 2024 Olympic ‘A’ cut of 16:09.09, almost 10 seconds faster than her eighth-place finish at last year’s World Championships (16:20.24). Both her 800 free and 1500 free times were under the Olympic consideration times, or ‘B’ cuts. 

Dizotti, a 23-year-old Brazilian, earned an Olympic ‘A’ cut in the 1500 free with her first-place finish in 16:08.29. 

Kobrich’s lifetime bests in the 800 free and 1500 free are 8:26.75 and 15:54.30, respectively, from over a decade ago. They still stand as Chilean national records today. 

Westmont marked Kobrich’s first meet in six months since the South American Games last October. Along with Worlds this summer, she is also set to compete at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where she’ll be an ambassador and podium favorite. 

If Kobrich competes at Paris 2024, she’ll become one of five swimmers ever to appear at six Olympics. Only Turkey’s Derya Buyukuncu, Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli, and the Swedish duo of Lars Frolander and Therese Alshammar have accomplished the feat. 

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Emg1986
1 year ago

There’s still hope for me yet (there really isn’t).

Sub13
1 year ago

Does the article say the Paris A cut is 20 seconds faster than the Fukuoka one? Has the event improved that quickly after becoming an Olympic event, or is that just arbitrary?

Either way, 11 World Champs is a pretty amazing feat.

The unoriginal Tim
1 year ago

Doesn’t seem worth going to Worlds with an 8:37.

Sub13
Reply to  The unoriginal Tim
1 year ago

She has an A cut in two events. Why wouldn’t she go? The vast majority of swimmers who attend Worlds/Olympics have no realistic medal chance.

xman
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

It’s every swim meet. Unless there is a low level of entry, Most of swimmers don’t make the finals, but it doesn’t mean they shouldn’t compete. America just happens to have the depth to send swimmers likely to final and win.

CADWALLADER GANG
1 year ago

longevity queen

2Fat4Speed
1 year ago

The only elite women’s 1500 swimmer not scared away by Ledecky over the past decade. Impressive!

RMS
Reply to  2Fat4Speed
1 year ago

Weird comment

Dan
1 year ago

Extremely impressive but hard to compare with swimmers that had part of their carrier in the sport before 2001 as the World Champs was about every 4 years before 2001 instead of every other year (plus we will now have 4 World Championships in 4 years, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025).

Not sure how many can rival that longevity, but Therese Alshammar was on the Swedish National team from 1993-2016 (6 Olympic Games). I think Therese was 3rd in the 50 back in October of 1990 when Sweden held their selection meet for the 1991 World Championships.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Dan
1 year ago

Lars and Therese’s longevity was incredible – Alshammar made Euro team in ’93 and also the 2016 Oly team. That’s almost the equvalnt of Sarah Sjostrom – who’s already had an incredibly long career – swimming in the Brisbane Olympics.

Pesci Details
Reply to  Fraser Thorpe
1 year ago

Interesting question: Who is the true GOAT of international level swimming longevity?

Things to consider:
Is Alshammar’s 19-year international career “almost the equivalent” of your speculative 24-year international career of Sjöström in 2032? Those five years stretch the “almost” significantly, I’d say, even counting the same number of (proposed) Olympic appearances. Is duration/longevity a more important metric, or Olympic appearances?

Mellouli seems to take Frölander (19-20 years) with his at least 21 international years between 2000-and 2021 Olympics.

How many swimmers have matched Dara Torres’ 28-year career (5xOly)? Do we factor her career breaks, subtract some years? I think she might be the champion.

Who is the longevity champion?

Would love to see Sarah join the 6-time… Read more »

Sub13
Reply to  Pesci Details
1 year ago

Sjostrom won’t have 6 Olympics in 2032, she’ll have 7 (assuming she attends Paris and LA).

Beijing 08, London 12, Rio 16, Tokyo 20, Paris 24, LA 28, Brisbane 32.

Wikipedia lists Frolander, Alshammar, Mellouli and Derya Buyukuncu (Turkey) as the only swimmers to attend 6. If Sarah competes up until Brisbane, she will be the first ever to hit 7.

Sjostrom and Cate Campbell are likely to attend their 5th in Paris. If Campbell wins a medal, she will be the first swimmer to earn a medal at 5 consecutive Olympics (Torres earned a medal at 5 Olympics but they were not consecutive).

Pesci Details
Reply to  Sub13
1 year ago

I regret the error.

Sherry Smit
1 year ago

such an inspiration, it’s amazing to see her still swimming well, and those races are intense.

Fraser Thorpe
Reply to  Sherry Smit
1 year ago

Yes, interestingly it does seem that the shortest races and the longest are the ones that allow for older swimmers to remain at the top – Ana Marcela Cunha and Mellouli had extended careers in the longer events

About Riley Overend

Riley is an associate editor interested in the stories taking place outside of the pool just as much as the drama between the lane lines. A 2019 graduate of Boston College, he arrived at SwimSwam in April of 2022 after three years as a sports reporter and sports editor at newspapers …

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