Short Course Worlds: Ukraine’s Klochkova, Australia’s Lenton, Romania’s Potec, China’s Luo to Swim in Indy

INDIANAPOLIS, October 6. TWENTY medal winners from the recent Athens Games are among the international entries for the 7th FINA World Swimming Championships, which begin tomorrow in Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis and continue through Oct. 11.

Leading the list is double gold-medalist Yana Klochkova of Ukraine, who duplicated her feat of the Sydney Olympics in 2000 by sweeping the 200-meter and 400-meter individual medleys in Athens.

“I am very aware of the tradition of swimming in Indianapolis,” said Klochkova. “I look forward to putting on a show for the fans they never forget. I am also so excited to swim in an NBA arena. I would never have thought it possible.”

While the United States – led by Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps, Aaron Peirsol and Amanda Beard – might be expected to dominate the first World Championships ever to be held in America, Australia will send a formidable team that includes 11 members of its recent Olympic team.

Leading the Aussies will be Lisbeth Lenton, who was on Australia’s gold medal-winning 4×100-meter relay team and won the bronze medal in the 50-meter freestyle. Also competing in Indianapolis will be Linton’s teammate on the 4×100 relay, Brooke Hanson, who also was the silver medalist in the 100-meter breaststroke. Another Aussie competing in the Worlds is Nicolas Sprenger, who was on the 4×200-meter relay team that won the silver medal.

Yet another veteran Aussie is backstroker Matt Welsh, won captured silver and bronze medals in his specialty at Sydney and placed fifth in the 100-meter back at Athens.

Another Athens gold medalist is Camelia Potec of Romania, who triumphed in the 200-meter freestyle in Athens, and China's Luo Xuejuan – the gold medal winner in the women's 100m breaststoke. Also entered is 400 individual medley bronze medalist Georgina Bardach of Argentina.

Other Athens medalists among men’s competitors will be Croatia’s Dujo Draganja, who won the silver medal in Athens in the 50-meter freestyle; Romania’s Razvan Florea, the bronze medalist in the 200-meter backstroke; and Stephen Parry of Great Britain, the bronze medalist in the 200-meter butterfly.

Several countries have yet to submit final entries, but the World Championships are expected to have about 600 swimmers from 100 countries, which would both be records for the event. Despite Natalie Coughlin withdrawing from U.S. team due to left foot injury, the U.S. still has the most athletes attending the event with 41. Australia’s team is made up of 30 athletes. The host country of the 2008 Olympic Games – China – has 25 athlete entries. Brazil and Canada are sending 24 and 22 athletes, respectively. Sweden leads European contingents with 17 athletes.

Start lists will be available on www.fina.org and www.worldswim2004.com on Oct. 5.

2004 Olympic Games Medalists Competing in the World Swimming Championships:

Women's 200 free gold medalist – Camelia Potec, Romania
Women's 200 IM and 400 IM gold medalist – Yana Klochkova, Ukraine
Women’s 50m free bronze medalist and 4x100m free relay gold medalist – Lisbeth Linton, Australia

Women's 100m breaststroke gold medalist – Xuejuan Luo

Women’s 100m breaststroke silver medalist and 4×100 free relay gold medalist – Brooke Hanson, Australia
Women's 400 IM Olympic bronze medal – Georgina Bardach, Argentina
Women’s 4×100 relay team bronze medalists – Chantel Groot, Marleen Veldhuis, Netherlands

Women's 4×200 free relay silver medalists – Pang Jiaying, Li Ji, Zhu Yingwen, China

Men's 50 free silver medalist – Dujo Draganja, Croatia
Men's 200m back bronze medalist – Razvan Florea, Romania
Men's 200m fly bronze medalist – Stephen Parry, Great Britain
Men’s 4x200m free relay silver medalist – Nicholas Sprenger, Australia
Men’s 4x100m medley relay team silver medalists – Thomas Rupprath and Jens Kruppa, Germany
Men’s 4×100 medley relay team bronze medalists – Takeshi Matsuda and Genki Imamura, Japan
Men's 4×200 free relay silver medalist – Nicholas Sprenger, Australia

Notables by Country:

Jose Meolans – Argentina
2002: Short Course (SC) World Championships – 1st 50m free (21.36), 2nd 100m free (47.09)
2003: Pan-American Games – 1st 100m free (49.27), 2nd 50m free (22.42), 2nd 100m butterfly (53.28)

Matt Welsh – Australia
2000: Olympic Games – 2nd 100m backstroke ((54.07), 3rd 200m backstroke (1:57.59)
2001: Long Course (LC) World Championships – 1st 100m backstroke (54.31), 3rd 50m backstroke (25.49), 4th 200m backstroke (1:58.80), 1st 4x100m medley relay (3:35.35)
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 50m backstroke (23.66), 1st 100m backstroke (51.26)
2003: LC World Championships – 1st 50m butterfly (23.43, World Record), 2nd 50m backstroke (25.01), 2nd 100m backstroke (53.92), 5th 200m backstroke (1:57.94)
2004: Olympic Games – 5th 100m backstroke (54.52)

Mirna Jukic – Austria
2002: SC World Championships – 3rd 200m breaststroke (2:21.63), 7th 100m breaststroke (1:07.99)
2002: LC European Championships – 1st 200m breaststroke (2:25.83), 6th 100m breaststroke (1:09.84)
2002: SC European Championships – 1st 200m breaststroke (2:21.66), 2nd 100m breaststroke (1:07.11), 7th 50m breaststroke (31.82)
2003: LC World Championships – 5th 200m breaststroke (2:26.38), 7th 100m breaststroke (1:08.76), 15th 50m breaststroke (32.46)
2003: SC European Championships – 1st 200m breaststroke (2:21.09), 3rd 100m breaststroke (1:06.68)
2004: Olympic Games – 7th 200m breaststroke (2:26.36)
2004: LC European Championships – 1st 200m breaststroke (2:27.25), 3rd 100m breaststroke (1:09.41)

Alena Popchanka – Belarus
1996: Olympic Games – 40th 50m free (27.18)
2000: Olympic Games – 16th 100m free (56.40), 26th 50m free (26.10)
2001: LC World Championships – 5th 100m free (55.19), 8th 50m free (25.73)
2002: SC World Championships – 5th 100m free (53.76), 14th 50m free (25.28);
2002: SC European Championships – 1st 100m free (53.66), 1st 200m free (1:55.91)
2003: LC World Championships – 1st 200m free (1:58.32), 4th 100m free (54.79), 4th 100m butterfly (58.90)
2003: SC European Championships – 3rd 200m free (1:55.66), 3rd 100m butterfly (58.26), 5th 100m free (53.67)
2004: Olympic Games – 7th 100m butterfly (59.06), 8th 100m free (55.24)

Mike Mintenko – Canada
2000: Olympic Games – 5th 100m butterfly (52.58), 6th 4x100m medley relay (3:39.88), 7th 4x200m free relay (7:21.92)
2002: SC World Championships – 4th 100m butterfly (51.45), 6th 50m butterfly (23.82)
2003: LC World Championships – 9th 50m butterfly (23.97), 9th 100m butterfly (52.57), 5th 4x200m free relay (7:17.38), 7th 4x100m free relay (3:16.83), 7th 4x100m medley relay (3:37.94)

Jere Hard – Finland
1999: SC World Championships – 4th 50m butterfly (23.97)
2000: Olympic Games – 15th 100m butterfly (53.65), 33rd 100m free (51.11)
2000: LC European Championships – 1st 50m butterfly (23.88)
2000: SC World Championships – 7th 50m butterfly (24.02)
2002: LC European Championships – 1st 50m butterfly (23.50), 8th 100m butterfly (53.18), 7th 4x100m medley relay
2002 SC European Championships – 1st 50m butterfly (23.47), 2nd 100m free (48.15)
2004: LC European Championships – 4th 50m butterfly (24.22), 5th 4x100m medley relay (3:40.63)

Hanna-Maria Seppala – Finland
2000: Olympic Games – 18th 100m free (56.68 )
2003: LC World Championships – 1st 100m free (54.37), 10th 50m free (25.39)
2003: SC European Championships – 3rd 100m free (53.46), 5th 50m free (24.79)
2004: LC European Championships – 7th 100m free (55.36)

James Hickman – Great Britain
1996: Olympic Games – 7th 200m butterfly (1:58.47), 9th 100m butterfly (53.23)
1997: SC World Championships – 1st 200m butterfly (1:55.55)
1999: LC European Championships – 2nd 100m butterfly (52.97), 4th 200m butterfly (1:58.72)
1999: SC World Championships – 1st 200m butterfly (1:52.71), 2nd 200m Ind. Medley (1:56.51), 3rd 100m butterfly (51.60)
2000: Olympic Games – 10th 200m butterfly (1:57.84), 13th 100m butterfly (53.55), 8th 4x100m medley relay (3:40.19)
2000: SC World Championships – 1st 200m butterfly (1:53.57), 2nd 100m butterfly (51.53), 2nd 200m Ind. medley (1:56.86), 3rd 100m Ind. medley (54.38), 3rd 4x100m medley relay
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 200m butterfly (1:53.14)
2004: Olympic Games – 8th 4x100m medley relay (3:37.77)

Mark Foster – Great Britain
1988: Olympic Games – 22nd 50m free (23.51)
1992: Olympic Games – 6th 50m free (22.52)
1993: SC World Championships – 1st 50m free (21.84), 3rd 4x100m Medley relay
1996: Olympic Games – 16th 50m free (23.01)
1996: SC European Championships – 1st 50m free (22.25 WR), 1st 50m butterfly (23.91)
1997: SC World Championships – 2nd 50m free (22.03), 3rd 4x100m Medley relay
1998: SC European Championships – 1st 50m free (21.31 WR), 2nd 50m butterfly (23.34)
1999: LC European Championships – 3rd 50m butterfly (24.39), 7th 50m free (22.98), SC World Championships – 1st 50m free (21.81), 1st 50m butterfly (23.61), SC European Championships – 1st 50m free (21.71)
2000: Olympic Games – 7th 50m free (22.41)
2000: SC World Championships – 1st 50m free (21.58), 1st 50m butterfly (23.30)
2001: LC World Championships – 3rd 50m butterfly (23.62)
2002: SC World Championships – 2nd 50m free (21.44), 3rd 50m butterfly (23.36)
2003: LC World Championships – 2nd 50m free (22.20), 7th 50m butterfly (23.86)

Dragos Coman – Romania
2000: Olympic Games – 5th 400m free (3:47.38), 9th 1500m free (15:12.64), 17th 200m free (1:50.20)
2001: LC World Championships – 6th 400m free (3:50.13), 11th 800m free (8:01.20), 13th 1500m free (15:29.70)
2003: LC World Championships – 3rd 400m free (3:46.87), 5th 800m free (7:57.22), 19th 1500m free (15:33.04), 23rd 200m free (1:50.90)
2004: Olympic Games – 7th 1500m free (15:10.21)

Yuri Prilukov – Russia
2002: LC European Championships – 1st 1500m free (15:03.88)
2002: SC World Championships – 5th 1500m free (14:50.57)
2002: SC European Championships – 1st 1500m free (14:35.06), 2nd 400m free (3:41.90)
2003: LC World Championships – 6th 400m free (3:48.50), 10th 1500m free (15:17.26)
2003: SC European Championships – 1st 400m free (3:40.19), 1st 1500m free (14:31.82), 5th 200m free (1:45.18)
2004: Olympic Games – 4th 1500m free (14:52.48), 6th 400m free (3:46.69)
2004: LC European Championships – 1st 1500m free (15:04.35), 2nd 400m free (3:49.51), 2nd 4x200m free relay (7:16.95)

Martina Moracova – Slovakia
1995: SC World Championships – 2nd 200m Ind. medley (2:11.91), 3rd 200m free (1:56.61), 6th 100m free (55.27)
1996: Olympic Games – 9th 200m free (2:00.96), 13th 200m Ind. medley (2:17.40), 15th 100m free (56.47)
1997: SC World Championships – 3rd 200m free (1:56.66), 4th 100m free (54.04), 5th 100m butterfly (58.58)
1998: LC World Championships – 2nd 100m free (55.09), 2nd 200m free (1:59.61), 3rd 200m Ind. medley (2:14.26), 6th 100m
1999: SC World Championships – 1st 200m free (1:56.11), 1st 100m Ind. medley (1:00.20), 1st 200m Ind. medley (2:08.55), 4th 100m free (53.79)
2000: Olympic Games – 2nd 200m free (1:58.32), 2nd 100m butterfly (57.97), 5th 50m free (25.24), 5th 100m free (54.72)
2000: SC World Championships – 1st 100m Ind. medley (59.71), 2nd 200m free (1:56.46), 2nd 200m Ind. medley (2:08.98), 3rd 100m free (53.88)
2001: LC World Championships – 4th 100m free (55.12), 5th 200m free (1:59.29), 13th 50m free (25.77)
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 100m butterfly (57.04), 1st 100m Ind. medley (59.91), 2nd 100m free (52.96)
2003: LC World Championships – 2nd 200m free (1:58.44), 3rd 100m butterfly (58.24), 6th 50m free (25.17), 6th 100m free (54.86)
2004: Olympic Games – 6th 100m butterfly (58.96), 7th 100m free (55.12)

Anna-Karin Kammerling – Sweden
1999: SC World Championships – 2nd 50m butterfly (26.21), 6th 50m free (25.08)
2000: Olympic Games – 9th 50m free (25.61), 16th 100m butterfly (1:00.40), 3rd 4x100m free relay (3:40.30)
2000: SC World Championships – 2nd 50m butterfly (26.16)
2001: LC World Championships – 3rd 50m butterfly (26.45)
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 50m butterfly (25.55), 3rd 100m butterfly (58.12), 1st 4x100m free relay (3:35.09), 1st 4x100m medley relay (3:55.78, WR)
2003: LC World Championships – 3rd 50m butterfly (26.06), 6th 100m butterfly (59.14), 14th 50m free (25.60), 6th 4x100m free relay (3:41.36)
2004: Olympic Games – 7th 4x100m free relay (3:41.22)

Johanna Sjöberg – Sweden
1995: SC World Championships – 7th 100m butterfly (59.89), 3rd 4x100m free relay, 4th 4x100m medley relay
1996: Olympic Games – 9th 100m butterfly (1:00.76), 5th 4x100m free relay
1997: SC World Championships – 5th 200m butterfly (2:09.25), 5th 200m free (1:57.89), 2nd 4x200m free relay
1999: SC World Championships – 2nd 100m butterfly (57.74), 4th 50m butterfly (26.43), 1st 4x200m free relay, 3rd 4x100m medley relay
2000: Olympic Games – 10th 100m butterfly (59.15), 3rd 4x100m free relay (3:40.30), 10th 4x100m medley relay (4:10.38)
2000: SC World Championships – 2nd 100m butterfly (57.96), 4th 50m butterfly (26.87), 1st 4x100m free relay, 1st 4x100m medley relay, 4th 4x200m free relay
2001: LC World Championships – 5th 100m butterfly (59.43), 7th 100m free (55.42), 4th 4x100m free relay (3:41.18), 10th 4x100m medley relay (4:10.04)
2002: SC World Championships – 7th 100m free (54.01), 1st 4x100m free relay (3:35.09), 1st 4x100m medley relay (3:55.78, WR), 4th 4x200m free relay (7:53.75)
2004: Olympic Games – 7th 4x100m free relay (3:41.22)

Josefin Lillhage – Sweden
1997: SC World Championships – 2nd 4x200m free relay
1999: SC World Championships – 3rd 200m free (1:57.46), 1st 4x200m free relay
2002: SC World Championships – 7th 200m free (1:58.71), 1st 4x100m free relay (3:35.09), 4th 4x200m free relay (7:53.75)
2004: Olympic Games – 8th 200m free (1:59.20), 7th 4x100m free relay (3:41.22), 8th 4x200m free relay (8:08.34)

Therese Alshammar – Sweden
1996: Olympic Games – 16th 100m backstroke (1:04.15)
2000: Olympic Games – 2nd 50m free (24.51), 2nd 100m free (54.33), 3rd 4x100m free relay (3:40.30)
2000: SC World Championships – 1st 50m free (23.59, WR), 1st 100m free (52.17, WR), 1st 4x100m free relay, 1st 4x100m medley relay
2001: LC World Championships – 2nd 50m free (24.88), 2nd 50m butterfly (26.18), 4th 4x100m free relay (3:41.18), 10th 4x100m medley relay (4:10.04)
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 50m free (24.16), 1st 100m free (52.89), 5th 50m butterfly (26.48), 1st 4x100m free relay (3:35.09), 1st 4x100m medley relay (3:55.78, WR)
2004: Olympic Games – 4th 50m free (24.93), 7th 4x100m free relay (3:41.22)

Oussama Mellouli – Tunisia
2003: LC World Championships – 3rd 400m Ind. medley (4:15.36), 9th 400m free (3:52.04), 10th 200m Ind. medley (2:01.64)
2004: Olympic Games – 5th 400m Ind. medley (4:14.49)

Oleg Lisogor – Ukraine
2000: Olympic Games – 15th 100m breaststroke (1:02.00)
2000: SC World Championships – 2nd 100m breaststroke (1:00.66), 3rd 50m breaststroke (27.30)
2001: LC World Championships – 1st 50m breaststroke (27.52), 6th 100m breaststroke (1:01.51)
2002: SC World Championships – 1st 50m breaststroke (26.42), 1st 100m breaststroke (58.33)
2003: LC World Championships – 2nd 50m breaststroke (27.74), 9th 100m breaststroke (1:01.65)
2004: Olympic Games – 8th 100m breaststroke (1:02.42), 6th 4x100m medley relay (3:36.87)

Denys Sylantyev – Ukraine
1996: Olympic Games – 6th 200m butterfly (1:58.37), 18th 100m butterfly (54.33)
1997: SC World Championships – 2nd 200m Butterfly (1:55.76), 5th 100m butterfly (52.63)
1998: LC World Championships – 1st 200m Butterfly (1:56.61), 7th 100m butterfly (53.59)
1999: SC World Championships – 3rd 200m Butterfly (1:55.41), 5th 100m Butterfly (52.47)
2000: Olympic Games – 2nd 200m butterfly (1:55.76), 12th 100m butterfly (53.51), 11th 4x100m medley relay (3:41.05)
2000: SC World Championships – 3rd 100m butterfly (51.84), 4th 200m butterfly (1:54.74)
2002: SC World Championships – 5th 200m butterfly (1:55.36), 8th 100m butterfly (51.97), 4th 4x100m medley relay
2003: LC World Championships – 5th 200m butterfly (1:56.36), 12th 100m butterfly (53.12)

Name*

Email*

Welcome to our community. We invite you to join our discussion. Our community guidelines are simple: be respectful and constructive, keep on topic, and support your fellow commenters. Commenting signifies that you agree to our Terms of Use