Hugo González does not show fatigue and enters the final of the 50 backstroke

Despite only getting three hours of sleep after his outstanding performance on Friday, Hugo González, known as the king of the 200 backstroke and prince of the 100, made it to the Sunday final of the 50 backstroke with the fifth fastest time among the participants. His time of 24.60 is impressive, ranking as the second best of his career, just behind his national record of 24.27 that earned him a bronze medal in the 2021 European Championships.

While the 50 backstroke is not his preferred distance, Hugo is in excellent shape and his confidence is sky-high. Additionally, with his towering height of 1.92 meters and an impressive wingspan of 2.04 meters, who knows what he is capable of achieving. It’s worth noting that the 50 backstroke is not an Olympic event, as it only appears in the freestyle program. Unfortunately, Adrián Santos, who finished thirteenth, did not make the cut for the final.

Mario Mollà, who previously reached the final in the 50 butterfly and finished sixth, also had a solid performance in the 100 backstroke, securing seventh place. Like Hugo, Mario trains in the United States, specifically at the University of Virginia Tech, under the guidance of his illustrious compatriot, Sergio López. Sergio, a bronze medalist in the 200 breaststroke at the Seoul Games in 1988, sustained an impressive career with a bronze in the same event at the 1991 European Championships in Athens and a silver in the 4×100 medley relay at the Short Course World Cup held in Palma de Mallorca. Coincidentally, the birthplace of Hugo González. On the final day of the championships, both Hugo and Mario will participate in the 4×100 medley relay, aiming to maintain or improve their current fourteenth place ranking and secure their Olympic qualification.

Another Gold for Curzan

In the thrilling 50 freestyle race, Ukrainian swimmer Vladyslav Bukhov surprised Australian Cameron McEvoy, beating him by a mere hundredth of a second. Their times were incredibly close, with Bukhov finishing in 21.44 seconds and McEvoy in 21.45 seconds. Benjamin Proud, representing Britain, took home the bronze medal with a time of 21.53 seconds.

Claire Curzan from the United States continued her impressive campaign and further solidified her claim as the queen of the Championships. She dominated the 200 backstroke event, finishing with a time of 2:05.77. Prior to this win, Curzan had also registered for the 50 and 100 backstroke events. Her exceptional performance has led to her being called “the female Hugo,” recognizing her exceptional skills in the backstroke.

Speaking of monarchies, the Portuguese swimmer Diogo Matos Ribeiro showcased his dominance in the butterfly events, winning the 100 with a time of 51.17 seconds. Although he wasn’t able to maintain his reign in the 200 butterfly, as it was won by the Japanese swimmer Tomoru Honda, Ribeiro’s prowess in the shorter distance cannot be denied.

Sjöström’s Mastery

At the age of 30, an age often considered a turning point for athletes, Swedish swimmer Sara Sjöström continues to prove herself as a force to be reckoned with. A multiple medalist in freestyle and butterfly events, she secured yet another gold medal, this time in the 50 butterfly with a time of 24.63 seconds. Sjöström demonstrated her prowess in such a short race, leaving the French swimmer Mélanie Hénique (25.44) and the Egyptian-American swimmer Farida Osman (25.67) trailing behind.

The luxury Italian distance runner and guard, Simona Quatarella, lived up to her status as the favorite and emerged victorious in the 800-meter freestyle event with an impressive time of 8:17.44. Additionally, China secured another win in the mixed 4×100 freestyle relay with a time of 3:21.18.