Lili Ibanez added a second World Championship qualifying time and was twice under the old Meet Record on Tuesday at the 2013 Olimpiada Nacional in Tijuana, Mexico.
She first broke her own Meet Record in prelims with a 2:00.76, which she followed with a 2:01.02 in finals. Following a Meet Record in the 100 as well, and just missing one in Thursday’s 50 free with a 25.72, she should be swimming another 50/100/200 schedule in Barcelona.
Cal-bounder sprinter Long Gutierrez, who lives and trains in Utah, won the men’s 200 free in 1:52.32, which just misses the National Age Record in the event. 17-year old Julio Oliveira took 2nd in 1:52.59; with four swimmers at 1:52.73 or better in the race and all are 22 or younger. That’s some promise for the Mexican relay headed toward the Rio Olympics if they can continue to develop.
Rita Medrano won the women’s 50 fly on Tuesday in 27.98; that’s a good result for her (three-tenths away from Ibanez’s National Record). That was a good warmup for Wednesday’s 200 fly, where she swam a 2:13.82 for a four-second margin of victory. That’s a FINA B time, though Mexico didn’t feel comfortable declaring her as an official qualifier until they saw where the ultimate cut times fell out.
In one of the most notable events on the Mexican schedule, Maria Gonzalez won the women’s 50 backstroke in 1:01.93. She is the only swimmer assured a swim in Barcelona from this Mexican team, thanks to her Automatic Qualifying time from last year in the event, but in total 11 additional swimmers were cited “preselected” for the meet. With mostly B-standards, however, the Mexican Federation will await proclomation from FINA on their qualifications.
Women:
Erica Dittmer (50 breast/200 IM)
Lili Ibanez (100 free)
Patricia Castaneda (1500 free)
Esther Gonzalez (200 breast)
Susana Escobar (400 free)
Rita Medrano (200 fly)
Ana Daniela Carrillo (100 breast)
Maria Fernanda Gonzalez (100 back)
Men:
David Oliver (50 breaststroke)
Arturo Perez Vertti (1500 free)
miguel Robles (200 IM)
Ezequiel Trujillo (2:02.48)
I also lived on Mexico foe many years, but I disagree with you about the facilities. There are many exvellent indoor and outdoor facilities in large cities, including several indoor 50m pools. There also are clubs (eg IMSS) that are low cost and accessible, againwith excellent facilities. In my opinion, Mexico has not had really good coaching at the age geoup level so swimmers are overworked as age groupers and so not have good tecchnique. It is worth noting that in 1968, the last time a mexican won an olumpic medal, the national coach was an american – the great Ron Johnson.
Swimming is far too expensive a sport for the average Mexican to participate in. The lack of proper facilities and coaching as well as the need to make a basic living put swimming way down on the priority ladder for most all but the most wealthy of Mexicans. I lived in Manzanillo, a city with 150,000 residents, and the best we have for a pool is a 4-lane 22 meter unlighted outdoor pool with actual frayed ropes for lane lines at a local Golds Gym.
Mexico has a long way to go. They only have a few facilities that can be used for national team training camps….which never happens. Maybe the coaching staff is not at the level it should be? A lot of factors are affecting Mexico swimming…
Every year many elite swim teams train for a few weeks each at a great high altitude facility in Mexico.
The mexicans need to utilize their own facilities more.
Gonzalez just started training at Gator a few weeks ago, and she’ll be in the summer training group with Elizabeth Beisel and Sinead Russell. She could be making some next-level steps in the years to come.
A lot of the top Mexican swimmers train in the US. The last time Mexican won an olympic medal in swimming was 1968 where they won the 200 meter men’s breaststroke.Mexico does good in diving though, I think the last two Olympics they have medal since they have good divers .
I agree Mexico swimming has a long way to go. Not sure it has improved in the last 10 years or more. The few good swim were ones that train in USA (A&M). Nothing is happening in Mexico.
Like you said, diving is way better than swimming in Mexico.