Alfonso Mestre makes Venezuela Olympic Team & Bella Sims places eighth in 400m Free.
FUKUOKA, Japan – Pool competition in the World Aquatics Championships Fukuoka 2023 kicked off Saturday, July 22, with Alfonso Mestre qualifying for Venezuela’s Olympic Team after swimming a 3:46.61 in the 400-Meter Freestyle.
Mestre, a 2023 graduate, is just one of 55 swimmers who have achieved their Olympic qualification for Venezuela. He competes in the 200 & 800-Meter Freestyle as well as the 1500-Meter Freestyle this week in Fukuoka.
On the women’s side, incoming freshman, Bella Sims, and former Volunteer Coach, Katie Ledecky, competed in the 400-Meter Finals Sunday morning. Ledecky earned her 23rd World Championships medal of her career after placing second at 3:58.73. Sims, the top-ranked Gator signee for next season, swam a 4:05.37 to finish eighth overall in the finals.
Men’s 50-Meter Butterfly:
Joshua Liendo, swam a 23.33 in the semifinals to finish 15th overall Sunday morning. The SEC Freshman of the Year advanced after placing in his heat’s top-five with a 23.36 in prelims on Saturday, July 22.
Men’s 400-meter Free Prelims:
Kieran Smith, representing USA, clocked a 3:45.77 to just miss out on finals by .34 seconds to finish ninth-place overall and ahead of Mestre (11th place). Rising sophomore and representing Canada, Eric Brown, recorded a personal best after swimming a 3:50.68 to finish 23rd.
Men’s 100-Meter Breaststroke Prelims:
Amro Al-Wir, representing Jordan, finished with a 1:01.80 to set a new personal best. He shaved off .07 seconds off his time.
Kieran Smith and Alfonso Mestre are set to compete in the Men’s 200-Meter Freestyle Prelim tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET. Mestre is scheduled to swim in Heat 5, and Smith is in Heat 6.
World Aquatics Championships 2023 continues through July 30th. Live results and a television schedule can be found here.<https://www.worldaquatics.com/where-to-watch/america>
Men’s results can be found below.
July 23, 2023
Semifinals – Men’s 50m Butterfly
* Joshua Liendo (Canada): 23.33
July 22, 2023
Prelims – Men’s 400m Free
* Kieran Smith (USA): 3:45.77
* Alfonso Mestre (Venezuela): 3:46.61
* Eric Brown (Canada): 3:50.68 – Personal Best
Prelims – Men’s 50m Butterfly
* Joshua Liendo (Canada): 23.36
Prelims – Men’s 100m Breaststroke
* Amro Al-Wir (Jordan): 1:01.80
Women’s results can be found below.
July 23, 2023
Semifinals – 400m Free
1. Katie Ledecky (USA): 3:58.73
1. Bella Sims (USA): 4:05.37
July 22, 2023
Prelims – 400m Free
* Katie Ledecky (USA): 4:00.80
* Bella Sims (USA): 4:04.25
UPCOMING ACTION
July 23, 2023
Prelims – Men’s 200m Free – 9:30 p.m. ET
* Kieran Smith (USA)
* Alfonso Mestre (Venezuela)
July 24, 2023
Semifinals – Men’s 200m Free – 7:00 a.m. ET
Prelims – Men’s 800m Free – 9:30 p.m. ET
* Eric Brown (Canada)
* Bobby Finke (USA)
* Aryan Nehra (India)
* Alfonso Mestre (Venezuela)
Prelims – Women’s 200m Free – 9:30 p.m. ET
* Bella Sims (USA)
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