Mireia Belmonte continued her winning ways at the 2014 Spanish Short Course Championships in the Saturday morning timed finals session where she won two events and broke a Meet Record.
She wasn’t the only star of the day, however, as Jessica Vall Montero tied Belmonte’s Spanish Record in the 200 meter breaststroke.
Belmonte’s first victory of the day came in the 200 fly, where she was a 2:03.07. That was well off of the 1:59.6 World Record she set a week earlier in Doha at the World Short Course Championships, but was still plenty to ensure that nobody was close to her.
American Katherine Mills, representing the club Canoe Natatacion, took 2nd in 2:07.16, and Judit Ignacio was 3rd in 2:09.12.
Belmonte’s second win of the day came in the 400 IM in a new Meet Record of 4:26.86, earning her team UCAM 5 bonus points toward their overall team scoring. That time was once again short of Belmonte’s World Record of 4:19 done in Doha.
As alluded to above, the other big swim of the day came from breaststroker Jessica Vall, who tied Belmonte’s Spanish Record in the 200 breaststroke with a 2:20.57 – matching the time that the ever-versatile Belmonte went in 2012.
Vall, who was a part of the four-woman team for Worlds, could be the key to Spain heading toward the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. If she continues to make improvements in the breaststrokes (which she has done now well into her 20’s), Spain’s 400 medley relay could be a top-5, or on a good day even medal, contender.
A third Meet Record of the day went to Canoe’s Carlos Peralta, who won the men’s 200 fly in 1:54.48 – shaving .01 seconds off the five-year old mark for the Championships. At only 20-years old, he has hopes of breaking the overall National Record of 1:53.2 in the not-too-distant future. This was a lifetime best for him by more than two seconds, and to this point in his career he’s been a better long course than short course swimmers, so a Worlds final for him might be on the radar as well.
Marina García, not Mireia Belmonte Spanish record holder 200BR. Thanks!