Video: Celina Li nets Lifetime Best and National Title in 400 IM

Video interview is courtesy of Kelsey Floyd. Video edit is courtesy of Coleman Hodges.

2013 US Winter National Championships – Women’s 400 IM – as reported by SwimSwam

Celina Li took the national title in the 400 IM, going 4:06.54 and leading virtually the whole way. That time is a lifetime-best for Li, and ranks 4th in the NCAA at this point. Chelsie Miller put the University of Kansas onto the podium with a runner-up time of 4:08.86, coming home with the strongest freestyle split of the field and outdueling Michigan’s Marni Oldershaw, who took third in 4:10.31. Miller also broke Kansas’s school record during the swim – she’s been on fire this weekend. Her previous lifetime-best before nationals was 4:15.01, so she has dropped over 6 seconds over the span of one weekend, an extreme rarity for a 19-year-old already swimming at a high level.

Arizona State’s Tristin Baxter was fourth, going 4:12.67, and Michigan’s Courtney Beidler was just behind in 4:12.89. Second seed Doreen Szekeres of Indiana struggled in the finals, adding 3 seconds to her prelims swim and taking 7th.

 

 

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About Gold Medal Mel Stewart

Gold Medal Mel Stewart

MEL STEWART Jr., aka Gold Medal Mel, won three Olympic medals at the 1992 Olympic Games. Mel's best event was the 200 butterfly. He is a former World, American, and NCAA Record holder in the 200 butterfly. As a writer/producer and sports columnist, Mel has contributed to Yahoo Sports, Universal Sports, …

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