Gold Medal Favorite Nick Mahabir Withdraws From World Junior Championships

2023 WORLD JUNIOR SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• September 4 – 9, 2023
• Netanya, Israel
• Wingate Institute
• LCM (50m)
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• EST Start Times: 2:30 am / 11:00 am
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The 2023 World Junior Swimming Championships have lost one of the big names slated to compete next week in Israel, as Singapore’s Nick Mahabir has dropped out of the competition due to health reasons.

Mahabir told SwimSwam on Thursday that he’s been dealing with an ailment that’s prevented him from training for the past three weeks, ultimately leading to his decision to withdraw from the event.

The 17-year-old was coming in as the top seed in the boys’ 100 breaststroke by more than a second, and he was also ranked 1st in the 200 breast and sat 4th in the 50 breast.

Mahabir, who represents Singapore internationally but lives and trains in California with the Coronado Swim Association, was coming off a pair of standout performances at the U.S. Pro Championships in late July and U.S. Junior Nationals in early August prior to this illness, having fired off a pair of new lifetime bests and National Records.

At the U.S. Pro Champs in Irvine, the Cal commit was the runner-up in the 100 breast in a time of 59.96, marking his first time sub-1:00, and he also rocketed to a new Singaporean Record in the 200 breast, clocking 2:11.87 in the prelims before placing 4th in the final (2:12.24).

Just a few days later, he won gold in the 100 breast (1:00.69) and silver in the 200 breast (2:12.32) at U.S. Junior Nationals.

Mahabir set the Singaporean Record in the 50 breast a few months prior in May, earning silver at the 2023 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Cambodia in a time of 27.91. He also won silver in the 100 breast (1:01.22) and 200 breast (2:13.95) at the Games.

In addition to his recent results, Mahabir also represented Singapore at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest, placing 25th in the 50 breast, and he won a pair of bronze medals in the 100 and 200 breast at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacs last summer in Waipahu, Hawaii.

In his absence, Kazakhstan’s Arsen Kozhakhmetov takes over as the top seed in the boys’ 100 breast (1:01.00), while Hong Kong’s Sai Ting Adam Mak is now ranked 1st in the 200 breast (2:11.89).

The 2023 World Junior Swimming Championships will run from September 4-9 in Netanya, Israel.