Hugo Gonzalez shows no signs of fatigue and advances to the final of the 50-minute backstroke

Although, by his own admission, he only slept for three hours after his Golden Friday, Hugo Gonzalez, king of the 200m backstroke (gold) and prince of the 100m (silver), entered Sunday’s 50m final with the field’s fifth-best finish. His score of 24.60 is very good, the second best of his career after the national record of 24.27 which earned him bronze at the 2021 European Championships.

The distance is not uncomfortable for him, but it is not his ideal. Hugo, however, is in great shape and his morale is through the roof. Besides, with his height of 1.92 and most importantly his wingspan of 2.04 for only one pool length, who knows. The 50m backstroke is not an Olympic event. This distance appears in the program only in free style. Adrian Santos

thirteenth, did not qualify.

Mario Molla, already a finalist (sixth) in the 50m butterfly, finished seventh in the 100m. His championship was a convincing one. Like Hugo, he lives and trains in the USA, although not in California, but at Virginia Tech University at the direction of his illustrious compatriot: Sergio Lopez, bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the Games in Seoul88. After this, Sergio maintained his good level, winning bronze in the same event at the European Championships in Athens91 and silver in the 4×100 medley relay at the World Cup short course (25 meters) held in Palma de Mallorca. , where Hugo Gonzalez would be born years later. Both Hugo and Mario will take part in the 4×100 medley relay on the final day, which will try to maintain or improve their fourteenth place in the ranking and therefore not give up the Olympic classification.

Another gold for Kurzan

High Speed, 50m Freestyle, Ukrainian Vladislav Bukhov surprised the Australian Cameron McAvoy. They were separated by only a hundredth of a fraction, which runs from 21.44 to 21.45. British Benjamin Proud He was third with a score of 21.53.

Claire Curzan (USA) continued to earn merit and become the queen of the championship. She won the 200m backstroke (2:05.77) after also entering the 50m and 100m in the previous days. She is an improved, licence-worthy, “female Hugo”, an outstanding backstroke athlete.

Speaking of monarchies, the smiling Portuguese Diogo Matos Ribeiro, is the butterfly king after scoring 100 points (51.17). He is not a complete, absolutist king. He had already won the 50th, but the 200th, breaking his hegemony, went to the Japanese. Tomoru Honda.

Sjöström class

Still, at 30 years old, a borderline age, Sarah Sjostrom, neither young nor old, multiple winner of freestyle and butterfly, wins gold medals. This Saturday I was in the 50 butterfly (24.63). And overtaking the French with a big advantage in such a short test Melanie Enik

(25.44) and Egyptian, although born in Indianapolis, with North American and North African blood, Farida Osman (25.67).

Simone Catarella, the stunning Italian distance runner and defender, confirmed her status as favorite to win the 800m (free) in 8:17.44. And China (3:21.18) won another relay – the mixed 4×100 freestyle.