KAZAN, Russia – Yulduz Kuckharova used a record-setting performance at the 2014 Asian Games to start one of the best backstroke seasons by any Kansas Jayhawk. She went even faster early Monday morning, topping her own Uzbekistani national record in the 100-meter backstroke prelims at the 16th FINA World Championships at Kazan Arena.
Kuchkarova, swimming in lane seven of the third of seven heats, swam a 1:02.80 in prelims to finish as her heat’s runner-up and posted the 39th fastest time in a morning session that saw Hungary’s Katinka Hosszu swim the fastest time in the world (58.78) and seventh-fastest women’s 100 backstroke of all-time.
Kuchkarova’s swim was nearly four-tenths of a second faster than her 1:03.18 posted at last year’s Asian Games, just weeks before starting a 2014-15 campaign at Kansas that ended with runner-up finishes in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke at the Big 12 Championship Meet. Both her times at the conference rank as the No. 2 all-time swims at KU behind Iuliia Kuzhil’s effort at the 2010 NCAA Championship.
“It’s a good swim whenever you can go faster, that’s the name of the game,” Kansas head coach Clark Campbell said. “It was a good way for Yulya to start the World Championship meet and I think she’s really excited for Wednesday’s 50-meter backstroke.”
The FINA World Championships is an aquatic competition held every other year featuring the best swimmers in the world, a field that was in top form Monday. In the semi-finals of the 100 backstroke, Emily Seebohm (Australia) swam the new fastest time in the world this year (58.56) as all eight finalists turned in times of 59.71 or faster to set up a fast event final for Tuesday.
Monday’s competition marked the first use of a backstroke starting wedge at the FINA World Championships, a non-slip surface that’s removed from the water by an official after the start of the race.
Several world records have fallen at this year’s meet, including the 1500-meter freestyle by Katie Ledecky (United States) and the 100-meter butterfly by Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden), twice.
Kuchkarova will swim again Wednesday morning in the 50-meter backstroke, the Tashkent, Uzbekistan native’s second and final event of the World Championships. With a qualifying time of 29.31 – another national record swum at last year’s Asian Games – Kuchkarova will swim in lane six during the third of six heats.
The junior-to-be will also compete at the FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup event in Moscow, Russia, August 11-12, before returning to Lawrence, Kansas to begin training with the Jayhawks. Kansas swimming and diving opens the 2015-16 season onOct. 2 with an intrasquad meet before starting the regular season with a double dual against Denver and Missouri State, Oct. 23-24. Both meets, the first of eight total home events in the area, will be held inside Robinson Natatorium.
Swimming news courtesy of Kansas Swimming & Diving.