Three Gators Reach Olympic Qualifying Times in Day Two of FINA World Championships
Monday, July 25, 2011 | Men's Swimming & Diving
On the second day of swimming competition at the 14th FINA World Championships several Gator swimmers took to the pool, including Florida phenom Ryan Lochte. Lochte clocked in with an Olympic Qualifying Time of 1:46.11 to finish third in the 200-meter freestyle semifinals and move on to the medal round scheduled for Tuesday, July 26.
Fellow UF swimmer Shaune Fraser joined Lochte in the 200-meter semifinals as a member of the Cayman Islands National Team, coached by Florida associate head coach Martyn Wilby. Fraser completed the race in 1:48.46 to finish 14th overall. His 1:47.73 mark in the morning prelims met Olympic Qualifying Time standards.
In her first long course World Championship final appearance, Jemma Lowe finished eighth for Great Britain in the 100-meter butterfly after she touched the wall in 57.96, an Olympic Qualifying Time mark. The finish was the fourth-best time of Lowe's career. Fellow Great Britain National Team member and defending World Champion in the 100-meter backstroke, Gemma Spofforth, who suffered from food poisoning throughout the past week, clocked in at 1:01.89 to finish 23rd overall.
Sophomore Hilda Luthersdottir, representing Iceland, was the lone UF underclassmen to take to the pool on the second day of the swimming competition. She finished 26th in the 100-meter breaststroke semifinals, touching the wall in 1:09.82. The mark puts Luthersdottir in the UF record books, once again, as the second fastest 100-meter breaststroke in the all-time top-10 list – she currently holds the third fastest mark in the event as well (1:10.23).
The 14th FINA World Championships continue Tuesday. Morning sessions are scheduled to take place from 9-11:30 a.m. local time in Shanghai (9-11:30 p.m. ET), while finals are slated for 6-8:10 p.m. (6-8:10 a.m. ET). Gator fans can get complete 2011 FINA World's coverage through OMEGA Timing by visiting their website here. For more information about the 14th annual FINA World Championships please click here.
Fans in the United States can follow all the action from the World Championships on NBC and Universal Sports. NBC will broadcast the final two days of the meet on July 30 and 31 from 1-3 p.m. ET. Universal Sports will broadcast the remainder of the competition (July 25-27) from 8-10 p.m. ET each night. A webcast of the World Championships will also be available online at www.universalsports.com.
EVENING SESSION RESULTS
Women's 100-meter butterfly (finals)
Jemma Lowe (Great Britain), 8th, 57.96, Olympic Qualifying Time
Men's 200-meter freestyle (semifinals)
Ryan Lochte (United States), 3rd, 1:46.11, Olympic Qualifying Time (advances to finals)
Shaune Fraser (Cayman), 14th, 1:48.46
MORNING SESSION RESULTS
Women's 100-meter backstroke
Gemma Spofforth (Great Britain), 23rd, 1:01.89
Men's 200-meter freestyle
Ryan Lochte (United States), 1st, 1:46.34, Olympic Qualifying Time (advances to semifinals)
Shaune Fraser (Cayman), 10th, 1:47.73 Olympic Qualifying Time (advances to semifinals)
Women's 100-meter breaststroke
Hilda Luthersdottir (Iceland), 26th, 1:09.82
