Cesar Cielo, Darian Townsend Getting World Championships Prep This Weekend In Arizona

Photo by Kaitlin Kelly

TEMPE – Before heading to the short course world championships in a couple of weeks to represent their respective countries, Cesar Cielo and Darian Townsend will hone their racing skills at the Ron Johnson Invitational Masters meet on the Arizona State University campus.

Lucky for the two, the meet will be held in short course meters, a format not usually found in the United States. But this is short course meters season for Masters swimming, and luckily a meet is available at a top-flight facility near them.

Cielo will race the 50 and 100 freestyles this weekend. He’s set for a chance to win multiple medals for Brazil in Qatar in early December, with an opportunity to return to the top of the medal podium in the 50 free as he did in 2010. As for Townsend, the short course worlds will mark his first time wearing the American flag on his cap in an international meet. Townsend became an American citizen in August after swimming for South Africa at three Olympic Games and a few world championships. Townsend is set to swim the 400 free relay in Qatar, and will swim the 100 free this weekend along with the 100 fly, 200 free and 50 free.

Click here for a full list of athletes attending the meet.

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