While Fourth of July weekend in Minnesota is often spent with fireworks on one of the state’s 10,000 lakes, three internationally-based Gophers spent the weekend competing in South Korea and Sweden.
Jakub Maly and Matt Barnard kicked off World University Games competition in Gwangju, South Korea this past weekend representing their home countries of Austria (Maly) and Australia (Barnard).
Maly picked up the Gophers’ long course meter record in the 200 IM with a time of 2:01.77. That mark earned him 11th place and also qualified Maly for the 2016 European Championships. Maly has now broken three Minnesota school records in 2015 (400-yard IM, 200-yard breaststroke, 200-meter IM).
Maly topped heat four of the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:03.10 for 29th place overall. He also won heat three of the 200-meter breaststroke with a time of 2:16.93. Maly is set to compete in the 400-meter IM, his strongest event, on Friday in Gwangju.
Representing Australia and the Golden Gophers, diver Barnard finished eighth overall in three-meter diving with a score of 381.65 in finals. On Wednesday, Barnard will compete on platform. Platform diving is his favorite event; Barnard holds the Minnesota school record in the event of 473.80 points which he totaled at the 2015 NCAA Championships for third place.
Viktor Bjoerk was busy competing at the Swedish Swimming Nationals. Bjoerk took home the bronze in the 200-meter butterfly with a time of 2:04.76. He also posted a 56.46 in the 100-meter fly for eighth place.
Former Gopher swimmer and current Student-Athlete Development intern Kaela Anderson is featured in this story on her decision to donate bone marrow. Anderson was an IM swimmer for Minnesota during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons.
Check out Kierra Smith‘s most recent blog on summer meets, training and confidence.
“So far, I’ve never been in a noisier pool than Minnesota at Big Tens,” Smith writes. “And nothing even comes close to Gopher fans packing the pool and screaming non-stop for three full days.”
Stay tuned for more updates of Gophers at big upcoming meets including the Pan-American Games, World Championships and more!
Swimming news courtesy of Minnesota Swimming & Diving.