Rebecca Meder’s African Record Leads a Slew of 100 IM National Records During Prelims

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Several nations saw their 100 IM records fall during the day 3 prelims session at the 2022 SC World Championships, including South Africa, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, and Aruba. 

On the women’s side, the record haul was led by South African Rebecca Meder, who swam to a time of 59.38 to crush her personal best and previous National Record of 1:00.00 that was set at last year’s South African Championships. With her performance, Meder also took almost .4 off of Kirsty Coventry’s African Record of 59.77, which was set at the 2008 World Championships at the height of the super suit era. 

Coventry, who is from Zimbabwe, is a multi-time Olympic gold medalist and a former world record holder. Competing at 5 Olympic Games from 2000-2016, she holds a total of 7 Olympic medals, including gold medals in the 200 backstroke from both 2004 and 2008. She still stands as the most decorated African Olympian of all-time in any sport. 

Meder previously broke the South African Record this week in the 200 IM and was also on the African Record-breaking women’s 200 free and 400 free relays.

Meder has another chance to re-break her record as well after qualifying 8th into the semi-finals. She will face a tough field to get into the final though, with the likes of Louise Hansson, Beryl Gastadello, and Mary Sophie-Harvey to contend with.

Other National Records:

• Slovenian Neža Klančar finished 9th in prelims, just behind Meder, swimming a time of 59.42. With her performance, she broke her own National Record of 1:00.51 set at the 2019 European Championships. 
• Tamara Potocka threw down a time of 59.69 to break 22-year-old the Slovakian National Record in the event, qualifying 13th for the semi-finals. The previous record stood at a 59.71 set by Martina Moravoca back in 2000. 
• Just behind Potocka, Spain’s África Zamorano Sanz blasted a time of 59.99 to sneak under the 1:00 barrier and set a new National Record, taking down the previous mark of 1:00.33 set by Lidon Munoz at the 2021 Spanish Championships. 
• Aruban Mikel Schreuders was the only man in the top 16 to set a National Record, swimming a time of 52.65 to take over a half second off of his own record set at the Berlin stop of the World Cup back in October.