U.S. Trials Semi-Finalist Anika Apostalon Now Swimming Under Czech Flag

2018 Czech Republic Swimming Championships

After the completion of the Czech Swimming Championships this weekend in Prague, the federation has added 7 new names to their roster for the 2018 European Championships, bringing the team to 15 in total. The biggest new surprise on the list is former NCAA All-American Anika Apostalon, who is a native-born American that competed for San Diego State and USC.

In a college career perhaps best remembered for the crazy amount of swim-offs she took on, and won, including three in one NCAA Championship meet, in 2014. The Albuquerque native was a co-captain of USC as a senior, finished her career as a 9-time All-American, and was named the 2017 Pac-12 Woman of the Year.

After qualifying for the semi-final of the 50 free at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials, Apostalon has now decided to represent the Czech Republic internationally after achieving Czech citizenship a few months ago.

She swam a 25.28 in the 50 free and 54.28 in the 100 free this weekend, the latter of which is a new Czech Republic record. It cracks the 2017 mark of Barbora Seemanova, who swam 54.62 at the European Junior Championships. Seemanova still holds the 50 free record in 25.06. Apostalon’s previous best time in the 50 was a 25.34.

Besides Apostalon, Czech Republic’s 3 Olympians also earned their spots at Euros this past weekend. Jan Micka, Lucie Svecena, and Seemanova all missed the time standard at the May qualifying meet because of either health or education issues, but all 3 safely earned their spots on the team in Prague over the weekend.

Micka won the 400 (3:49.68), 800 (7:51.46), and 1500 (15:10.42) freestyles, all by wide margins and all in European Championship qualifying times. All three were season-best times, and the 800 was the 2nd-fastest of his career, just a second slower than his best time done at the 2016 European Championships.

Svecena was pretty-far off from her best times, but did manage to secure a qualifying time for the European Championships in the 100 fly with a 59.75.

Seemanova swam 7 individual races, plus 2 relays, in a crowded meet, which included a 55.42 in the 100 free to qualify for Euros.

 

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Mia
5 years ago

Anika swam this weekend in Czech, 24:09 in the 50 free and 52,64 in the 100 free. I saw a big improve….good luck at World Championship,2018 !

tea rex
6 years ago

Is she still swimming at Trojan?

Yooz
6 years ago

Probably her best shot at making an international team. Crazy how competitive the girls sprints have come over the years. I remember when sprint was our weakest spot as a nation!

juddy96
6 years ago

“She swam a 25.28 in the 50 free and 54.28 in the 100 free this weekend”
“Apostalon’s best time is a 25.34 in the 50 free.”

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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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