Zook Takes Double WR’s in Bismarck Prelims

The sun has risen in Bismarck, and the World Records have started falling again. After 4 on Thursday evening, the total now runs to

Justin Zook has been competing internationally since he was only 12 years old – he made the American World Championship team in 1998. Despite being so elite for so long, he’s now hitting his prime, and was faster than a pair of World Records in prelims in a single swim.

his 100 backstroke time of 1:01.75 broke the old S9 record of 1:01.85 held by Australia’s Matthew Cowdrey. But he charged ahead in this race, and also was faster than the World Record in the 50 back with an opening 29.73 – also just sneaking under Cowdrey’s record of 29.80. However, that won’t count as he didn’t formally apply for his split to be considered for a record.

He is the defending Paralympic Champion in the S10 group, but has been reclassified in S9 since; this gives him a whole new set of competitors to attack in London, and with this world-leading swim he should be safely onto the Olympic Team.

Kayla Wheeler also broke a World Record on Friday morning, though in the non-Olympic 50 fly. In the S1 classification, she won in 1:38.49, which destroys her own World Record by 9 seconds. Amazingly, that’s a World Record she set in February – an impressive improvement in such a short time.

In other prelims action, Mallory Weggemann and Jessica Long each took top seeds in two races – the 50 free and 100 back. Tom Miazaga also began his quest to make a second-straight Paralympic Team in the 100 back with a 1:13.51 to sit atop of the S8 classification. He’s got some of the biggest names in the sport chasing him though, with Evan Austin and Rudy Garcia-Tolson 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

Full Meet Results available here.