Kristel Kobrich Ties All-Time Record With Eighth Worlds Final Appearance In Single Event

Chilean veteran Kristel Kobrich continues to make swimming history.

At the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, she is the oldest swimmer to compete in pool events at 38 years of age. She is one year older than 37-year-old Cameroon’s Charly Ndjoume.

In Doha, Kobrich completes his 12th appearance in the World Aquatics Championships. She is, by far, the swimmer with the most appearances. The next ones on the list have nine – including Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom and Ukraine’s Andriy Govorov, who in Doha make their ninth appearance.

Most appearances at World Aquatics Championships (including 2024)

Kobrich’s first appearance was in 2003, at the World Championships in Barcelona. When Kobrich swam the 1500 freestyle final in Doha, in Lane 8, the swimmer next to her, China’s Yang Peiqi, wasn’t even born when Kobrich made her third World Championships appearance in 2007.

Speaking of 1500 free, by making the final, Kobrich made her eighthth appearance in the final of the event. This marks an all-time record, equaling Federica Pellegrini‘s record in the women’s 200 freestyle.

Swimmers with the most finals appearances at World Aquatics Championships

In Doha, Sarah Sjostrom will equal this record if she makes the women’s 50 butterfly final

Kobrich’s best finish was 4th place in 2009 and 2011. In 2009, she was just two seconds shy of winning the bronze medal.

She has not made the Olympic Qualifying Time as of yet for 2024. If she does it, she will become only the fifth swimmer to ever appear in six editions of the Olympic Games, tying Sweden’s Therese Alshammar and Lars Frolander, Turkey’s Derya Büyükuncu and Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli.