Fukuoka 2023, Day 2 Africa Recap – Time off Pays off for Schoenmaker

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap

Tatjana Schoenmaker, the reigning Olympic champion and former world record holder in the 200 breast, will look to continue her excellent form from day two’s 100 breaststroke semi-finals into the final tomorrow at the 2023 World Championships. She enters as the 3rd seed behind only Ruta Meilutyte and Lilly King.

After winning the 200 breast in world record fashion (2:18.95) at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021, Schoenmaker has swum a reduced schedule, and it seems to be paying off in the lead-up to the next Olympic Games.

The 26-year-old chose not to compete at the World Aquatics Championships or Short Course World Championships in 2022, opting to instead compete at the Commonwealth Games. Her times at these Worlds, 1:05.56 in the prelims and 1:05.53 in the semis, are already faster than the 1:06.68 she swam to swim silver last year in Birmingham.

Schoenmaker speaking about not swimming at Worlds last year and the importance of this year’s meet and the depth in Fukuoka, said,

“It’s almost weird to say it’s only my second one [World Championships] now but it’s been such an incredible journey…I’m excited to get some international racing in. I haven’t raced some of these girls since the Olympics and obviously there are some new faces… so I’m excited to get racing again and just get into that zone for the build-up to the Olympics.”

Taking time off and managing one’s mental health has also paid massive dividends for Abdelrahman Sameh. After a suicide attempt, the Egyptian swimmer and former Louisville Cardinal took time off and sought counseling. Since then, he has been on a tear, winning the ACC 50 free title and, at this meet, rewriting the Egyptian Record twice in the men’s 50 fly.

Elaraby swam 23.10 in the prelims, lowering the record from 23.11 and then dropped the record again to 22.94 in the semifinals. In the finals, he finished 8th with a time of 23.34. Despite adding time, his 8th-place finish represents the first time since 2015 when an Egyptian man has made a final of the World Championships. For the women, Farida Osman has made at least one final at every World Championships dating back to 2013. She will look to make it six in a row when she contests the 50s of free and fly later in the meet.

National/Continental Records Through Day 2:

• Cameroon
  • Giorgio Nguichie Kamseu Kamogne – men’s 50 fly, 29.93
• Cape Verde
  • Jayla Pina – women’s 100 breast – 1:14.09
• Egypt
  • Abdelrahman Sameh – men’s 50 fly, 22.94
• Guinea
  • Fode Amara Camara – men’s 50 fly, 28.42
  • Mariama Toure – women’s 100 breast, 1:35.41
• Lesotho
  • Refiloe Chopo – men’s 50 fly, 34.21
• South Africa
  • Rebecca Meder – women’s 200m IM, 2:10.95
• The Gambia
  • Aminata Burrow – women’s 100 breast- 1:14.32
• Tunisia
  • Ahmed Hafnaoui – men’s 400m free, 3:40.70 *African Record
• Zimbabwe
  • Denilson Cyprianos – men’s 100 back, 57.29

Medal Table (Africa) Through Day 2: