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EAST MEADOW, New York, February 8. WITH three national titles to her credit in the individual medley events, Ariana Kukors is widely regarded as a future standout on the international scene. Last weekend, certainly, provided further proof of that fact.
At the FINA World Cup stop in New York, Kukors (King Aquatic) walked away with six medals – three in the I.M. events and three in the backstroke disciplines. Simply, she accepted a demanding schedule and excelled in attacking it. Consider the results.
In the 200 and 400 I.M. events, Kukors claimed victory with superb times of 2:09.84 and 4:34.48, respectively. Consequently, Kukors has established herself as a major contender to land a berth to the Pan Pacific Championships and 2007 World Championships.
Aside from her pair of victories, Kukors placed second at the Nassau County Aquatic Center in the 100 I.M. (1:02.35) and 50 backstroke (28.47). More, she was third in the 100 back (1:00.54) and 200 back (2:10.33). With the longer backstroke not exactly an American strength, Kukors could also make a push for international duty in that event as well.
For more on Kukors and several other young phenoms in the I.M. events, be sure to visit the interactive section of SwimmingWorldMagazine.com.