2022 Para Swimming World Series – Berlin
- March 31 – April 3, 2022
- Europasportpark, Berlin, Germany
- LCM (50m)
- Results/Meet Central
Numerous world records fell during the 2022 Para Swimming World Series competition in Berlin over the weekend, the second of three stops in the lead-up to the World Para Swimming Championships in June.
Germany’s Tanja Scholz and Colombia’s Carlos Daniel Serrano Zarate led the charge by both breaking world records in three different events.
Competing on home soil, Scholz set new records in the women’s S4 category in the 50 free (36.92), 100 free (1:19.28) and 200 free (2:51.53). She also set new records in all three races in the prelims (37.10, 1:21.20, 2:54.41) before re-lowering them in the final.
Serrano Zarate, a seven-time Paralympic medalist, set new records in the men’s S7 100 fly (1:06.89), the SB7 50 breast (32.23) and the SB7 100 breast (1:11.89). He also broke the 100 fly (1:07.70) and 50 breast (33.17) records during the preliminaries.
Serrano Zarate is the reigning two-time Paralympic champion in the men’s SB7 100 breast, having won the Tokyo 2020 gold in 1:12.01.
Fin de la competencia en Berlín y regreso a mi país 🇨🇴 con 3 medallas y dueño de 3 récords mundiales en los 100 pecho, mariposa y 50 MTS pecho.
🙏🏼Pero lo que más me llevo es todo el apoyo que he recibido de todos en estos 3 días donde las competencias fueron exigentes. pic.twitter.com/l8Gtoq7Yrh
— Carlos Daniel Serrano (@CarlosDSerrano) April 3, 2022
A total of 10 other swimmers broke world records at the meet, including Poland’s Michal Golus claiming two.
Golus clocked times of 27.57 in the men’s S8 50 fly and 2:18.82 in the S8 200 fly to set new world records.
Another noteworthy performer at the meet was Germany’s Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Elena Semechin, previously Elena Krawzow, who discovered she had a brain tumor after the Games and was undergoing chemotherapy up until just a few days before the Berlin event.
“My participation is a small miracle for me. I finished my second chemotherapy cycle last Sunday. Competing only four days later is a strong challenge for me. But as we all know, I love challenges,” she said, according to Paralmypic.org.
Semechin placed 10th in the women’s 100 breast (SB13), which was won by the Netherlands’ Lisa Kruger (1:15.09, SB9).
OTHER WORLD RECORD BREAKErs
- Inaki Basiloff, Argentina – Women’s S7 200 freestyle, 2:12.90
- Marta Fernandez, Spain – Women’s SB3 100 breaststroke, 2:07.39
- Tully Kearney, Great Britain – Women’s S5 50 freestyle, 35.28
- Talisa Engel, Germany – Men’s SB13 50 breaststroke, 28.71
- Zsofia Konkoly, Hungary – Women’s S9 200 fly, 2:28.44
- Moises Fuentes Garcia, Colombia – Men’s SB4 50 breaststroke, 42.41
- Josia Topf, Germany – Men’s S3 50 butterfly, 49.75
- Evelin Szaraz, Hungary – Women’s SB6 200 breaststroke, 3:30.14
- Roger Dorsman, Netherlands – Men’s SM11 200 IM, 2:18.47