International Olympians Tune Up with Wins at Orlando Sectionals

Full results can be found on meet mobile under “Southern Zone South Sectional Championship.”

Last weekend’s Orlando Sectionals saw some international stars tuning up their races before they head to Rio to represent their respective countries. One of the biggest swims of the meet came in the 200 back, where Matea Samardzic broke her own Croatian record to win the event in 2:09.11. Samarzdic swept the backstroke races, having won the 100 back in 1:01.77 earlier in the meet. She also took both IM titles, winning the 200 in 2:17.71 and the 400 in 4:42.26.

Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson and Iceland’s Hilda Luthersdottir battled it out in the women’s 100 breast, with Atkinson getting to the wall in 1:06.80 for the win. That was Atkinson’s only swim of the meet. Luthersdottir took 2nd in 1:08.57 before going on to win the 50 breast (31.60) and 200 breast (2:27.90) later in the meet.

Luthersdottir’s Gator Swim Club teammate Andreina Pinto, a 2012 Olympic finalist for Venezuela, also picked up a pair of wins. Pinto won the 200 free in 1:59.94 and the 400 free in 4:07.12.

On the men’s side, GSC’s Corey Main, Mitch D’Arrigo, and Sebastien Rousseau each came up with wins. Main, a swimmer out of New Zealand, took the sprint backstroke races with a 26.14 in the 50 and a 55.63 in the 100. D’Arrigo, who will represent Italy this summer on their 4×200 free relay, also doubled with wins in the 200 free (1:49.85) and 400 free (3:56.69). Rousseau won the 400 IM, an event he’ll swim at the Olympics for South Africa, in 4:21.28.

Belarusian Olympian Pavel Sankovich, who trains with Club Nole at FSU, won the men’s 100 fly in 53.77.