At just 16 years old, Maria Ramos Najji became the first Spanish woman under 30 seconds in the 50 breaststroke during last week’s Spanish Championships.
Ramos Najji clocked a time of 29.73, lowering her own national record from last November (30.28) by more than half a second. Her previous mark had broken a super-suited Spanish record of 30.37 set by Concepcion Badillo Diaz back in 2009.
Ramos Najji was out in 13.56 and back in 16.17, winning the national title by more than a second.
She’s now less than a second behind Benedetta Pilato’s world junior record of 28.81 from 2020, with more than a year remaining before she ages out of junior eligibility in April of 2024.
This past summer, Ramos Najji took silver in the LCM 50 breast at World Juniors with a 31.68.
Spanish men also reset six national records during last week’s Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.
In the 200 free relay, Carles Coll (21.59), Luis Dominguez (21.08, Sergio de Celis (21.04), and Mario Molla (21.12) combined for a time of 1:24.83, crushing the previous Spanish record of 1:26.26 that had stood for 17 years since the 2005 European Championships.
In the 400 free relay, de Celis (46.90), Dominguez (46.63), Molla (46.44), and Coll (47.22) posted a 3:07.19, demolishing the previous mark from 2018 (3:12.08) by nearly five seconds.
In the 800 free relay, Dominguez (1:43.02), Molla (1:42.69), Hugo Gonzalez (1:44.30), and de Celis (1:43.12) totaled a time of 6:53.13, taking down a super-suited national record by more than 10 seconds. The previous mark stood at 7:03.75 from the 2009 Spanish Championships. Dominguez also broke the 200 free Spanish record individually with his 1:43.02 leadoff split, nearly a second quicker than Cesar Castro’s 1:43.94 from 2018.
Coll also left Melbourne with an individual national record after registering a 51.97 in the 100 IM semifinals. He became the first Spanish swimmer under 52 seconds in the event, beating out Bruno Ortiz-Canavate’s 52.20 from 2019.