Kathleen Baker Takes Two Top Seeds At FFN Golden Tour – Nice

2020 FFN GOLDEN TOUR CAMILLE MUFFAT – NICE

• Friday, February 7th – Sunday, February 9th
• Piscine Jean Bouin, Nice
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Information
• SwimSwam Preview
• Results

Competing on day 1 of the 2020 FFN Golden Tour Camille Muffat stop in Nice, American Olympian Kathleen Baker made her presence known at Piscine Jean Bouin. The versatile 22-year-old claimed two top seeds from this morning’s heats, with only about 45 minutes in between the events.

First up for the Team Elite star was the women’s 200m IM, with Baker touching the wall in a time of 2:11.31. That was enough to keep an edge over Hungary’s Iron Lady Katinka Hosszu, who wrapped up the 2nd seed in 2:11.65.

Both women returned for the 100m backstroke event just 2 events later, with Baker once again racing to attain lane 4 for tonight with a morning swim of 1:00.03.  The next closest competitor was Michelle Coleman of Sweden, with the veteran putting up a swim of 1:01.37 to sit far back entering the final.

For Hosszu’s part, the 30-year-old stalwart sits 4th headed into tonight’s 100m back race, holding a casual morning effort of 1:01.93.

Going back to American Baker, with just these morning swims she enters the season’s world rankings as 10th in the 200m IM and 14th in the 100m back.

She has battled endless health challenges since last spring, including pneumonia and a broken rib, putting her out of the water for seven weeks.

Slowly getting back in shape, Baker herniated a disc in June, knocking her out of training for an eighth week on the run-up to World Championships. There in Gwangju, she finished 6th in the 50m back (27.69), 6th in the 100m back (59.56) and 9th in the 200m back (2:09.68).