Wingate University junior Marko Blazevski will represent his native Macedonia this summer in the 400 IM at the Olympic Games, an event in which he is a perfect two-for-two at the NCAA Division II National Championship meet.
His long course best is a 4:29.07 – swum in a 2nd-place finish in the B-Final at this year’s Canadian Olympic Trials. He usually fares very well on the butterfly leg of his IM – gets out to a big start – and then holds on through a solid breaststroke. It is the long-axis strokes (backstroke and freestyle) where he needs the most work – and with a better closing kick, he could be very good.
This is an unusual event for Universality entries to go to (though not unheard of), given the purpose of these entries. They are designed to go to countries where swimming programs are still developing, and in most cases these programs don’t start their development with this – one of the sport’s toughest race. But at the same time, it shows a true dedication, and should be encouraging to the development of swimming overall in Macedonia that he’s put so much time and energy into his training (he’s a true Macedonian – born in the capital of Skopje, though he went to high school in California).
This adds a fourth name to officially receive their FINA Olympic invite, out of a possible 150 under the universality rules.
Megan Fonteno – American Samoa – 100 free – 57.35
Ching Maou Wei – American Samoa – 50 free – 27.64
Amini Fonua – Tonga – 100 breast – 1:04.02
If he swims his long course IM like he does his short course, he should have a killer free split (at least compared to his seed time), his second-best event at NCAAs last year was the 500 free, and he’s a sub-1:40 200 swimmer. As a matter of fact, it seems to be breaststroke is actually his weakness, if you can call it that from a 3:50 scy swimmer. I’m going with the short course times since that’s when he’s been at his best the past few years.
Miguel Ferreira from Florida Southern is projected to be invited after his 1:01 in the 100 Breast at Venezuelan Nationals.
Heard there was another guy from DII heading to London as well. Esau Simpson from Nova Southeastern. 44.4 relay split at Nationals this year, reps a country in the Caribbean. Grenada