2019 World University Games: Five Women’s Events to Watch This Week

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

The 2019 World University Games will get started this week in Naples, Italy. The swimming competition will start Thursday July 4 at 9:30 a.m. local time (3:30 a.m. EST) and finals will begin at 6:00 p.m. local time (12:00 p.m. EST). The start lists have been released for this week as the Americans are sending a strong team of some of the best collegiate swimmers.

Swimming World has pinned five women’s races to keep an eye on for this week. The men’s list will be released later. A couple of the American swimmers will also be making appearances at the World Championships in three weeks with Zach Apple and Gabby DeLoof set to swim on relays in Gwangju at the end of the month.

A couple big international names will be in attendance this week with Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato expected to give the Italian crowd something to cheer about before she heads off to the World Championships. South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker will also be swimming this week in Naples as she will also fight for medals at Worlds later this month.

Women’s Psych Sheet

Top Seeds

50 Free: Jessica Felsner, Germany
100 Free: Veronica Burchill, United States
200 Free: Gabby DeLoof, United States
400 Free: Kaersten Meitz, United States
800 Free: Waka Kobori, Japan
1500 Free: Waka Kobori, Japan
50 Back: Silvia Scalia, Italy
100 Back: Katharine Berkoff, United States
200 Back: Lisa Bratton, United States
50 Breast: Jhennifer Alves, Brazil
100 Breast: Kanako Watanabe, Japan
200 Breast: Kanako Watanabe, Japan
50 Fly: Sofia Spodarenko, Russia
100 Fly: Charlotte Atkinson, Great Britain
200 Fly: Sachi Mochida, Japan
200 IM: Ella Eastin, United States
400 IM: Ilaria Cusinato, Italy

200 IM

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

World University Games Record: Yui Ohashi, Japan (2:10.03, 2017)

Top Seed: Ella Eastin, USA (2:09.90)

Fastest 2019 times:

2:10.61, Runa Imai, Japan
2:11.53, Calypso Sheridan, Australia
2:11.60, Alicia Wilson, Great Britain
2:11.65, Abbie Wood, Great Britain
2:11.68, Ella Eastin, United States
2:11.89, Ilaria Cusinato, Italy
2:13.70, Cyriele Duhamel, France
2:13.81, Reka Gyorgy, Hungary

Stanford grad Ella Eastin will be swimming in her second straight World University Games as she is looking to have a big summer in 2019. She recently just signed with arena and she will be looking to upgrade her silver from 2017 with a gold in 2019. She will have her hands full though with Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato and Japan’s Runa Imai. Yui Ohashi’s 2:10.03 Universiade Record from 2017 should be under threat here.

Based on 2019 times alone, Imai is on top of the rankings with a 2:10.61. Australia’s Calypso Sheridan is second (2:11.53) and Great Britain’s Alicia Wilson (2:11.60) is third. Eastin has been a 2:11 this year but she should be considered a favorite for the gold since she seems to be due for a 2:09 or faster.

Cusinato was the silver medalist in the 200 IM at European Championships last year and is certainly a medal favorite as well. Great Britain’s Abbie Wood has also been a 2:11 this year and should not be ruled out either.

100 Back

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

World University Games Record: Anastasia Zueva, Russia, 59.83 (2013)

Top Seed: Katharine Berkoff, United States (59.59)

2019 Fastest Time:

59.78, Katharine Berkoff, United States
1:00.30, Silvia Scalia, Italy
1:00.50, Marina Furubayashi, Japan
1:00.75, Vera Koprivova, Czech Republic
1:00.80, Elise Haan, United States
1:01.32, Nadine Laemmler, Germany
1:01.34, Kennedy Goss, Canada
1:01.41, Agata Naskret, Poland

Katharine Berkoff, who will be headed to NC State this fall, could turn some heads this week in Naples in the 100 back. The women’s backstroke scene in the United States is already super crowded with the likes of world record holder Kathleen Baker, world short course champion Olivia Smoliga and world junior record holder Regan Smith. Add Berkoff to that mix and you have an extremely deep backstroke core.

Berkoff will be swimming in her first international meet as a member of the senior team after she was the silver medalist in the 100 back at Junior Pan Pacs last summer. She is the top seed ahead of fellow American and NC State grad Elise Haan and Italian Silvia Scalia.

Berkoff is easily the favorite here as she is looking to gain some momentum before she heads to Raleigh this fall.

Based off of 2019 alone, Scalia (1:00.30) has the second fastest time of the field behind Berkoff’s 59.78 from the Richmond Pro Swim Series in April. Japan’s Marina Furubayashi (1:00.50) has the third fastest time this year.

200 Breast

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 15: Tatjana Schoenmaker during the finals session 200m breaststroke for women on day 6 of the SA National Aquatic Championships and Olympic Trials on April 15 , 2016 at the Kings Park Aquatic Center pool in Durban, South Africa. Photo Credit / Anesh Debiky/Swim SA

Photo Courtesy: Anesh Debiky/Swimming South Africa

World University Games Record: 2:22.32, Rie Kaneto, Japan (2009)

Top Seed: 2:22.88, Kanako Watanabe, Japan

2019 Fastest Times:

2:23.65, Kanako Watanabe, Japan
2:24.11, Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa
2:24.51, Emily Escobedo, United States
2:24.59, Kaylene Corbett, South Africa
2:25.19, Francesca Fangio, Italy
2:25.50, Daria Chikunova, Russia
2:25.58, Katie Matts, Great Britain
2:25.79, Jocelyn Ulyett, Great Britain

The gold and silver medalist from the 200 breast at the 2017 World University Games are returning in 2019 with Japan’s Kanako Watanabe and South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker coming in with the top two seeds. Watanabe won gold in Taipei two years ago with a 2:24.15 as Schoenmaker won the silver at 2:24.61. Watanabe has had the upper hand this year with a 2:23.65 in June while Schoenmaker was a 2:24.11 in April.

Schoenmaker was a 2:22 in 2018 as she was the Commonwealth Games gold medalist in this event. It was a huge breakout swim for the South African as she will be looking to prove 2018 was not a fluke this week in Italy. Schoenmaker might be holding herself a little bit this week as she preps for the World Championships in three weeks.

The third fastest time of the field in 2019 is American Emily Escobedo, who was a 2:24.51 in May. South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett (2:24.59) is also not to be counted out.

400 IM

Ilaria Cusinato 2 Euro Championships 2017

Ilaria Cusinato; Photo Courtesy: Andrea Staccioli / Insidefoto / Deepbluemedia

World University Games Record: 4:34.40, Yui Ohashi, Japan (2017)

Top Seed: 4:34.65, Ilaria Cusinato, Italy

2019 Fastest Times:

4:37.45, Ilaria Cusinato, Italy
4:40.44, Abbie Wood, Great Britain
4:41.33, Makayla Sargent, United States
4:41.40, Calypso Sheridan, Australia
4:42.21, Sayaka Kashiwazaki, Japan
4:42.33, Carlotta Toni, Italy
4:44.20, Evie Pfeiffer, United States
4:44.48, Sophie Caldwell, Australia

Italy’s Ilaria Cusinato took a lot of people by surprise by winning the silver medal in the 400 IM last summer at Europeans with a 4:34. She currently sits ninth in the world rankings this year with her 4:37 from April. Cusinato will most likely not drop a 4:34 in Naples this week but she will definitely want to put on a good show for the Italian crowd. She will be swimming the 200 and 400 IM at Worlds in three weeks but she should still be able to get to around a 4:35 this week depending on her rest situation.

The minor medals will be up for grabs as Great Britain’s Abbie Wood has the second fastest time of anyone in the field this year. NC State’s Makayla Sargent will lead the charge for the Americans along with Texas junior Evie Pfeifer. Australia’s Calypso Sheridan, who had a breakthrough sophomore season at Northwestern this year, will also likely factor into the medal race.

400 Free

Photo Courtesy: Peter H. Bick

World University Games Record: 4:03.96, Sarah Kohler, Germany (2017)

Top Seed: 4:07.60, Kaersten Meitz, United States

2019 Fastest Times:

4:08.58, Kaersten Meitz, United States
4:08.70, Waka Kobori, Japan
4:09.70, Linda Caponi, Italy
4:10.95, Chinatsu Sato, Japan
4:11.26, Phoebe Hines, Australia
4:11.91, Mikayla Messer, Australia
4:12.38, Abbie Wood, Great Britain
4:13.26, Kennedy Goss, Canada

USA’s Kaersten Meitz is the top seed in the 400 free as this will be her lone event this week in Naples. Meitz swam for Team USA at the World University Games in 2017 where she was fourth in the 400 free. She will be looking to get on the podium for the first time in her international career as she could also be fighting for the gold. Japan’s Waka Kobori has the second fastest time in the world this year among the swimmers in the field.

The Italians will have plenty to cheer for as Linda Caponi will be in the hunt for the medals in her home country. Australia’s Phoebe Hines, who swims at the University of Hawaii, will also be factoring into the medals along with USA’s Sierra Schmidt. Schmidt was the bronze medalist in Taipei two years ago and will be looking to get back on the podium. The Universiade record of 4:03.96 might be out of reach this week but it will certainly be a good race.

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