2021 UANA TOKYO QUALIFIER
- April 29, 2021 – May 3, 2021
- Clermont, Florida
- Long Course Meters (LCM)
- Meet Site
- Results Available on Meet Mobile Under “2021 UANA Tokyo Qualifier”
- Day 1 Recap
- Day 2 Recap
- Day 3 Recap
The 2021 UANA Tokyo Qualifier concluded with day 4 finals in Clermont, Florida. The final day of the meet featured the women’s and men’s 200 butterfly 100 freestyle, 200 backstroke, and.
Maria Jose Mata Cocco added to her prior victories in the women’s 200 freestyle and 100 butterfly by taking gold in the women’s 200 fly. Mata Cocco was a 2:10.37 to win the event, getting under her prelims time of 2:10.72. The swim got her within striking distance of Rita Medrano‘s 2012 Mexican record of 2:10.15 which she set at the Santa Clara Grand Prix. Behind Mata Cocco, Diana Luna Sanchez swam a 2:16.37 for silver while Junseo Kim hit a 2:16.53 for bronze.
In their final individual races of the meet, Hector Cruz and Jose Martinez went head-to-head in the men’s 200 butterfly with Cruz ultimately getting the upper hand with a 1:58.76 while Martinez followed in a 1:59.47. Both swimmers were quicker than their prelims swimmers in which Cruz was a 2:05.79 and Martinez a 2:04.63. Both were, however, a bit slower than Juan José Veloz‘s current Mexican national record in the event of 1:57.32 from the 2008 Olympic Games. Joining the two on the podium, Joey Carbone was a 2:01.61 for third place.
Madelyn Moore delivered a new Bermudian record in the women’s 100 free, posting a 56.57 to undercut Kiera Aitken’s previous record of 56.99 from the 2009 World Championships. Earlier this week, Moore matched her own national record in the 50 free by swimming a 25.95 to equal her previous mark which she originally swam in 2018. Fresh Sathianchokwisan was a 57.06 to take the silver medal while Liliana Ibanez rounded out the podium with a 57.61.
In the men’s 100 freestyle, Mexico’s Jorge Iga posted a 49.61 for the gold medal which trails his own national record of 49.07 in the event. Iga posted that Mexican record back in 2018 at the CAC Games. Following Iga, Alberto Mestre swam to silver with a 49.68 which was less than a second off the Venezuelan record in the event of 48.94, held by Christian Quintero. Earlier this week Mestre set the Venezuelan record in the men’s 800 freestyle with a 7:56.94. Mexican swimmer Andres Dupont Cabrera rounded out the podium with a 50.04.
The women’s 200 backstroke field was lead by Salvadorian swimmer Celina Marquez who hit a 2:14.99 for the gold medal, out-swimming Pia Murray‘s 2:16.63 for second place. Marquez currently holds the national record in the event at a 2:13.83 which she set back in November 2020. Marquez most recently represented El Salvador at the 2019 World Championships but didn’t race the 200 backstroke and instead swam the 100 back, placing 38th with a 1:02.94 and the 100 fly, placing 42nd with a 1:03.93. Joining Marquez and Murray on the podium, Alexia Patricia Sotomayor hit a 2:17.38 for the bronze medal.
Just as Marquez did in the women’s event, Yeizel Morales won the men’s 200 back in a swim that was just slower than his own national record. Morales was a 2:00.90 to take the gold medal which was an improvement upon his morning swim of 2:02.85 but was a bit slower than his best time and Puerto Rican national record of 1:59,38 from earlier this year. Also just off his own national record, Patrick Groters came in with a 2:02.83 for silver which was within a second of his Aruban record in the event of 2:02.32 from 2019. Mexico’s Diego Camacho Salgado rounded out the 200 backstroke podium with a 2:03.02.