Jessica Vall Breaks Own 50 BR Spanish National Record at Spanish Open

2019 Spanish Open Swimming Championship

• April 6th-10th, 2019
• Sabadell, Spain
• Long Course (50m)
• Meet Site
• Results/Psychs
• Prelims at 3:30am ET, Finals at 11:30am ET (9:30am/5:30pm in Spain)

In the opening two days of the 2019 Spanish Open Swimming Championship, Jessica Vall broke her own open championship and Spanish national record in the 50 breast with a 30.89. Her leading semifinals time is just outside the top 5 in the world this year. Vall’s previous record of 31.10 was set at last year’s Spanish Open meet in Malaga. Later in the finals, however, Belgium’s Fanny Lecluyse defeated Vall by 0.04 seconds and won with a 31.47.

Breaking the women’s 200 back open championship record was Africa Zamorano, who took the top spot in prelims with a 2:09.60. Her time just dipped under her old open record by one one-hundredth, which was also set at last year’s Spanish Open. In the final, Zamorano remained on top with a 2:09.63, winning by nearly 4 seconds.

Along with Vall’s Spanish record and Zamorano’s open championship record, 6 junior championship records were also broken in the first 2 days of the meet.

• Men’s 200 Breast: Carles Coll– 2:14.77
• Women’s 100 Free: Ainhoa Campabadal– 56.49
• Women’s 400 Free Relay: Gredos San Diego (Lanza, Garcia, Cogswell, Ortega)- 3:53.53
• Women’s 100 Back: Paula Rodriguez– 1:02.41
• Women’s 200 Breast: Alba Vazquez– 2:27.65
• Women’s 400 Medley Relay: Gredos San Diego (Beesmans, Ortega, Lahrach, Lanza)- 4:14.13

Winning three events thus far is Olympic gold medalist Mireia Belmonte. Belmonte first topped the women’s 800 free timed final with a 8:32.29. On day 2, Belmonte took home wins in the 400 free and 200 fly. Belmonte first won the 400 free in a 4:09.56, which just entered the top 25 times in the world this year. In the 200 fly, Belmonte also won with a 2:11.05.

More highlights from the first 2 days of the championship include:

• Hugo Gonzalez de Olivera took a win in the men’s 100 back with a 55.39. The teen is also the top seed going into the men’s 200 IM (2:03.37), where he is also the Spanish national record holder.
• Entering the top 16 times in the men’s 400 free this year was event winner Miguel Duran (3:49.11).
• Jose Valdivia took out Alberto Lozano Mateos by one one-hundredth in the men’s 50 fly final, winning with a 23.98. In semifinals, Lozano Mateos led the top set, separating him and Valdivia by two one-hundredths (24.04/24.06).
• Winning the timed final of the men’s 1500 free was Albert Escrits (15:18.28).
• Spanish national record-holder Lidon Munoz del Campo remained on top in the women’s 100 free, winning in a 55.23.
• In the men’s 200 breast, Joan Ballester topped Alex Castejon 2:13.66 to 2:13.81. In the semifinals, Ballester was ahead of Castejon by less than a tenth 2:12.41 to 2:12.50.
• Leading the women’s 200 breast final seeds is Marina Garcia Urzainqui, whose top time of 2:24.06 is also the 6th-fastest time in the world this year.