Mustangs Head To European Championships
Dec 6 | Men's Swimming & Diving
Dec. 6, 2006
DALLAS (SMU) - Five swimmers of the SMU women and men's swimming and diving team will head to Helsinki, Finland, to compete in the 2006 European Short Course Swimming Championships this weekend and will represent their respective countries. Three SMU alumni are also scheduled to compete as the event will be held at the Mäkelänrinne Swimming Center which is the largest swimming hall in Finland and the only one made to international standards.
At the US Open last weekend, Petra Klosova (Czech) finished runner-up in the 100m free with a time of 56.39 and will compete in the 100 and 200 free as well as the 100 IM in Helsinki. Tamara Sambrailo (Slovenia) will compete in the 50 and 200 breast while Anja Carman (Slovenia) in the 800 free and 100 and 200 back. Former Mustang and Swiss three-time 800m free European short course champion (1998, 2001, 2004) Flavia Rigamonti finished third in this event at the US Open clocking 8.36.38. In addition to the 800m she will also swim the 400m free in Helsinki. Moravcova will compete in the 50, 100 and 200 breast and the 50 and 100 fly.
On the men's side, Alex Hetland will race in the 100 breast and 100 IM while Luka Vrtovec in the 50 fly and 50 and 100 free. SMU alumni Lars Froelander returns for the 50 and 100 fly.
Classified as a "serial champion", Moravcova is one of two swimmers competing this weekend that could win their seventh successive title. A Slovakia native, Moravcova has remained undefeated in the 100m fly since 2000 and has also won three titles at World Short Course Championships within that time frame. She achieved her first European gold medal in 1998 and since the inauguration of European Short Course Swimming Championships in Rostock, Germany, in 1996, she has gained at least one medal at every event. Last year she won the 50m free in 25.65. and is the title holder in the 100m fly. Although she may be the second-oldest female swimmer in Helsinki, she is one of the most successful athletes ever with 19 European short course titles since 1996. At the 2005 short course Europeans in Trieste she achieved her sixth successive gold medal in the 100m fly and her seventh altogether in that event. She holds three European Short Course records. In the 200 free with a time of 1:54.74, the 100 fly at 56.82 and the 100 IM with a time of 1:00.16.
SMU alum, Frolander of Sweden will compete this weekend in the 50 and 100 fly. He retired after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, but made his comeback a year ago in Trieste winning the European title in the 50m fly ahead of Great Britain's Mark Foster who is no longer competing for Great Britain. Frolander currently holds the 50m fly European Short Course record with a time of 23.07. He swam for the Mustangs from 1995-98 and still holds three SMU records.
Thursday 7.12
Morning - 10:00 a.m.
Heats
M 50 Freestyle
W 50 Breaststroke
M 200 Ind.Medley
W 100 Backstroke
M 200 Backstroke
M 100 Butterfly
W 200 Butterfly
M 100 Breaststroke
W 200 Ind.Medley
M 400 Freestyle
W 100 Freestyle
M 4x50 Medley
Evening - 18:30 p.m.
Semifinals & Finals
M 50 Freestyle
W 50 Breaststroke
M 400 Freestyle
M 200 Backstroke
W 100 Backstroke
M 100 Butterfly
W 200 Ind.Medley
M 100 Breaststroke
W 200 Butterfly
M 200 Ind.Medley
W 100 Freestyle
M 50 Freestyle
W 50 Breaststroke
M 4x50 Medley
Friday 8.12
Morning - 10:00 a.m.
Heats
M 50 Backstroke
W 50 Butterfly
M 400 Ind.Medley
W 100 Ind.Medley
W 200 Breaststroke
M 100 Freestyle
W 4x50 Freestyle
W 800 Freestyle
* slow heats
Evening - 18:30 p.m.
Semifinals & Finals
W 800 Freestyle
M 50 Backstroke
W 50 Butterfly
M 400 Ind.Medley
W 200 Breaststroke
M 100 Breaststroke
W 100 Freestyle
M 100 Freestyle
W 100 Backstroke
M 100 Butterfly
W 100 Ind.Medley
W 50 Butterfly
M 50 Backstroke
W 4x50 Freestyle
Saturday 9.12
Morning - 10:00 a.m.
Heats
W 50 Backstroke
M 50 Breaststroke
W 400 Freestyle
M 100 Backstroke
W 100 Breaststroke
M 100 Ind.Medley
W 100 Butterfly
M 200 Butterfly
W 4x50 Medley
M 1500 Freestyle
* slow heats
Evening - 18:30 p.m.
Semifinals & Finals
M 1500 Freestyle
W 50 Backstroke
M 50 Breaststroke
W 400 Freestyle
M 100 Ind.Medley
W 100 Breaststroke
M 100 Backstroke
W 100 Ind.Medley
M 100 Butterfly
W 100 Butterfly
M 100 Freestyle
W 50 Backstroke
M 50 Breaststroke
W 4x50 Medley
Sunday 10.12
Morning - 10:00 a.m.
Heats
W 50 Freestyle
M 50 Butterfly
W 400 Ind.Medley
M 200 Breaststroke
W 200 Freestyle
M 200 Freestyle
W 200 Backstroke
M 4x50 Freestyle
Evening - 18:30 p.m.
Semifinals & Finals
W 50 Freestyle
M 50 Butterfly
W 400 Ind.Medley
M 200 Breaststroke
W 200 Freestyle
M 100 Ind.Medley
W 100 Breaststroke
M 200 Freestyle
W 100 Butterfly
M 100 Backstroke
W 200 Backstroke
M 50 Butterfly
W 50 Freestyle
M 4x50 Freestyle
