Mexican swimmer Lili Ibanez has broken her own Mexican Record in the 50 short course meters free for the 2nd-straight stop of the 2018 FINA World Cup Series. Swimming in Singapore, the series’ final stop, Ibanez swam to the 7th qualifying spot in prelims with a 24.74 in the morning and followed that up with an 8th-place finish in the final in 24.56.
This continues Ibanez’s run as the record-holder in the event. She’s held the mark since 2007 when, just before her 17th birthday, Ibanez swam a 25.89 at the Mexican Short Course National Championships.
Ibanez is the holder of 8 Mexican National Records individually and is also a part of 4 record-setting relays.
Ibanez is racing at the last two stops of this year’s FINA World Cup Series, in Tokyo and Singapore, in lieu of the Short Course World Championships, because the Mexican Swimming Federation made a requirement that athletes race at their overlapping national championship meet if they want to swim at next year’s Pan American Games. Mexico won’t send a team to Short Course Worlds.
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom won the race in 23.21, which beat-out the World Record holder Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands (23.46).
Ibanez was born and raised in Mexico, but attended college and still trains at Texas A&M University.
