Quick Sprints 3/29/12: Villaecija Doing Double Duty at Olympics

American Rhi Jeffrey, who has made a huge impact both in and out of the pool since coming out of retirement last year in New Zealand, is swimming well at this week’s State New Zealand Open Championships. She first took 7th in the 200 free in 2:02.31, and followed that up with a runner-up swim of 55.65 in the 100 free. Jeffrey was a prelims swimmer on the American 800 free relay that won gold at the Athens Olympics in 2004, before retiring in 2007 at only the age of 21. Her 100 free makes her the 6th-fastest American in the race this year (coming into this weekend’s Indy Grand Prix), though there’s no telling what sort of rest she’s on for this meet…

The training group from Britain’s Loughborough Intensive Training Center is on a training-trip in warm-weather Cyprus for the next three weeks. That includes the largest portion of the British Olympic squad, with 8 of the 38 members who have already earned spots for the Games. Cyprus has become a popular warm-weather training destination for the Brits, where they settle in to the Coral Beach Hotel and Resort near the historic city of Paphos. The resort has a beautiful 10-lane outdoor 50-meter facility. Among swimmers in Cyprus are Lizzie Simmonds, Fran Halsall, Jo Jackson, Amy Smith, Daniel Fogg, and Liam Tancock. The weather is huge ahead of Olympic training; while the US has been on a warm streak, it’s still very early spring in the UK, with highs expected only in the 40’s and 50’s the next few weeks…

Chad la Tourette confirmed via Twitter that he would be joining fellow National Teamer David Plummer as well as his former club the Mission Viejo Nadadores in Colorado Springs for the next three weeks. La Tourette broke the American Record in the 1650 yard freestyle last weekend at NCAA’s…

Spain’s Erika Villaecija swam an 8:27.76 in the 800 free on the first day of their National Championships. That’s her best time since the rubber suits, and seals her up a spot in the pool for the 2012 London Olympics. She already qualified for open water in the 10k last summer at World’s by finishing 10th, which means that she will be one of the few to challenge both open water and pool swimming (Australia’s Melissa Gorman and Britain’s Keri-Anne Payne were open for the same, but both failed to qualify for their respective pool teams).

Meanwhile, Mireia Belmonte-Garcia won that race in 8:25.55, the 2nd-best time in the world this year. Spain has a tough distance group, and Melania Costa will miss out in this race despite an 8:30.96. Others to stamp tickets to london included Conchi Badillo in the 100 breaststroke with a 1:07.97 that is a huge breakout swimmer for her (at 25-years old). Rafa Munoz took 2nd in the 50 free in 22.47 behind Poland’s Konrad Czerniak (22.47). And finally, Belarus’ Aleksandra Herasimenia won the women’s 50 free in 24.90…

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DDias
12 years ago

Chris,
i didn t understand… Does she have a big bladder and the oiifical will need a bucket?

Chris
Reply to  DDias
12 years ago

Haha no…I simply meant that New Zealand is a very long journey to collect a single sample for doping officials accustomed to the continental US (where 99% of US swimmers tested are based).

Chris
12 years ago

I pity whichever doping official is selected to go to New Zealand to collect Rhi Jeffrey’s samples if she makes the team.

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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