2023 SPANISH OPEN SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, March 29 – Sunday, April 2
- Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Long Course Meters
- Results
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
- Day 3 Recap
- Day 4 Recap
The fifth and final day of the 2023 Spanish Open is now in the books. The final day of the World Championships qualifying event for Spain featured the 200 breast, 50 back, 400 free, and the para 50 breast.
The final day of the meet saw one more swimmer automatically qualify to the World Championships team in Fukuoka this summer. Paula Otero, who won the women’s 1500 free on day 3, took the women’s 400 free tonight in 4:10.50, dipping under the FINA ‘A’ cut of 4:10.57. She made it by the skin of her teeth, but she made it, and thus, Otero has now added the 400 free to her World Champs lineup alongside the 1500.
Otero took over the lead early in the back half of the race and didn’t look back. Angela Martinez, the 800 free champion who also qualified for the Worlds team in that event, came on really strong at the end of the race tonight and closed the gap on Otero. Martinez ran out of room, however, and ended up touching second in 4:10.95, which was just 0.38 seconds off the FINA ‘A’ cut.
Carlos Garach, the champion in the men’s 800 free and 1500 free, made it a sweep of the men’s distance events, winning the men’s 400 free in 3:49.33. Unfortunately, Garach was just off the FINA ‘A’ cut of 3:48.15, but he still managed to post a lifetime best in the event and win the race by two seconds. Garach did qualify for the World Champs team in the 800 free and 1500 free, so we’ll be seeing him this summer in Fukuoka.
Tonight, Garach swam a well-balanced race, going 1:53.93 on the first 200m then coming home in 1:55.40.
Carles Coll was another swimmer who narrowly missed the FINA ‘A’ cut tonight. Coll, who won the 200 IM in a World Champs qualifying time on day 4 of the meet, won the men’s 200 breast decisively tonight, speeding to a 2:10.71. That time marks a new lifetime best for the Virginia Tech swimmer, but unfortunately was just off the FINA ‘A’ cut of 2:10.32. He was looking really strong through the first 150m of the race, splitting 29.44, 33.37, and 33.66 respectively on the first three 50s. He then faded just a bit on the final 50m, splitting 34.24, and fell just off the ‘A’ cut pace. Coll is also closing in on the Spanish Record, which stands at 2:09.69.
The women’s 200 breast saw a great race between Marina Garcia and Laura Rodgriguez. The pair was right next to each other the whole way through the race. At the 100m turn, Garcia was leading Rodriguez 1:11.07 to 1:11.35. The gap was even smaller at the 150m turn, where Garcia touched in 1:48.84 to Rodriguez’s 1:49.00. Garcia slightly out-split Rodriguez on the final 50m, and ended up touching first in 2:26.66, just ahead of Rodriguez (2:26.89). Both women were very close to the FINA ‘A’ cut of 2:25.91, marking another set of near misses on the night.
Netherlands star backstroker Kira Toussaint won the women’s 50 back tonight in 28.22, matching the FINA ‘A’ cut in the event. The men’s 50 back went to Adrian Santos, who touched out Juan Segura by 0.03 seconds to claim victory. Santos swam a 25.36 to Segura’s 25.39. Both men were just off the FINA ‘A’ standard of 25.16.
DAY FIVE EVENT WINNERS
- Men’s 200 breast: Carles Coll – 2:10.71
- Women’s 200 breast: Marina Garcia – 2:26.66
- Men’s 50 back: Adrian Santos – 25.36
- Women’s 50 back: Kira Toussaint – 28.22
- Men’s 400 free: Carlos Garach – 3:49.33
- Women’s 400 free: Paula Otero – 4:10.50
- Para men’s 50 breast: Antoni Ponce Bertran – 40.62
- Para women’s 50 breast: Marian Polo Lopez – 37.14
PROJECTED SPANISH ROSTER FOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Women
- Carmen Weiler – 100 back
- Ángela Martinez – 800 free
- Alba Vazquez – 400 IM
- Emma Carrasco – 400 IM, 200 IM
- Paula Otero – 1500 free, 400 free
- Jimena Perez – 1500 free
- Africa Zamorano – 200 back
Men
- Carlos Garach – 1500 free, 800 free
- Carles Coll Marti – 200 IM