Melani Costa finished the Spanish Open in Las Palmas by collecting gold in both the 100 freestyle and 200 backstroke. That brings her win total to three after taking the 200 freestyle earlier in the competition. Neither of the wins came easy as she finished both events by less than six tenths of a second ahead of two of her Spanish Olympic teammates.
Costa won the women’s 100 freestyle in a time of 55.67 followed by Marta Gonzalez who touched the wall in a time of 55.90. In the 200 backstroke she posted a winning time of 2:11.12 and was followed closely by Africa Zamorano who hit the wall in a time of 2:11.68.
Both of her times were season’s best as the fastest she has been this year was 56.45 in the 100 freestyle and a 2:11.61 in the 200 backstroke.
Mireia Belmonte‘s campaign at the Spanish Open concluded with her taking her fourth gold and challenging her own national record in the women’s 1500 freestyle. Belmonte was challenged by Maria Vilas up until the 1100 meter mark where she separated herself from the field. She was also on pace to break her Spanish record of 15:57.29, but fell off pace in the final few hundred meters of the race.
Belmonte won the event in a time of 16:01.00 just off her season’s best of 16:00.20, which sits second in the world rankings.
Spanish Olympic team members Jessica Vall and Eduardo Solaeche both had convincing wins in the 100 breaststroke. Vall won the women’s event in a time of 1:07.63 while Solaeche put up a time of 1:02.83.
Mortiz Berg won the men’s 100 freestyle in a time of 49.96 while Hector Fontabella won the men’s 200 backstroke in a time of 2:01.08.