Grassi Sets New 100 and 200 Butterfly Records at Argentine Short Course Nationals

19 year old Santiago Grassi was the star of the Argentine Short Course National Championships setting two new national records and just off another.

The first day of the competition Grassi took the men’s 50 butterfly in a time of 23.80 finishing nearly two seconds ahead of the field, but he was off the national mark of 23.57. His time in the 50 butterfly was only 63 one-hundredths of a second slower than the winning time in the 50 freestyle.

On the second day he returned to the pool and broke the 200 butterfly record by over a second. Grassi won the event in a time of 1:56.30 eclipsing the record of 1:57.34 set by Gaston Rodiguez in 2009. He also finished four seconds ahead of the field.

Day three was another good as he took the 100 butterfly in a time of 52.16 breaking the record of 52.26 set by Jose Martin Meolans in 2002.

Julia Sebastin swept the women’s breaststroke events taking the 50 on the first day posting a 31.64, the 200 on the third day recording a 2:23.21 and the 100 on the final day of the competition in a time of … Her best event may have been the 100 IM which she took in a time of 1:02.84. She finished over two seconds ahead of the field and set a new national record beating the mark of 1:02.84 set by Manuela Morano in 2011.

Martin Naidich joined the list of record breakers setting a new mark in the men’s 1500 freestyle winning the event in a time of 1:450.33. He beat the record of 14:51.78 set by Esteban Paz in 2009. Naidich finished 27 seconds ahead of the next fastest competitor.

He also took the 400 freestyle in a time of 3:48.53.

Cecilia Andrea Bertoncello tied the national record in the women’s 50 butterfly winning the event in a time of 27.62. Maria Belen Diaz posted that same time last year to set the national record.

She also took the women’s 100 butterfly in a time of 1:02.37 and the women’s 50 backstroke in a time of 27.98, which was only five one-hundredths of a second off the national mark.

15 year old Delfina Pignatiello had a fantastic meet winning the women’s 200 (2:02.14), 400 (4:15.63) and 800 freestyle (8:44.11). The Argentines can be excited about the young talent in the distance freestyle events as 14 year old Delfina Dini finished second in the 800 posting a time of 8:52.53.

Virgina Bardach Martin Took the women’s 200 (2:13.81) and 400 IM (4:45.30) and the women’s 200 butterfly (2:12.96). Her smallest margin of victory came in the 200 IM where she won the event by over six seconds.

Joe Alberto Vera Ortiz Molina won the men’s 100 (55.99) and 200 IM (2:01.05) as well as the 200 freestyle (1:50.73). In the 200 freestyle he was challenged by Ivo Cassini who finished second in a time of 1:50.78.

Cassini took the men’s 800 freestyle recording a time of 8:00.32.