USA’s Asia Seidt kept the meet records flowing on the first night of the 2019 World University Games in Naples, Italy. Seidt swam a 2:08.81 in the 200 back semi finals to lower the meet record of 2:08.91 from Stephanie Proud of Great Britain set in 2009. Seidt will be a senior at the University of Kentucky and she lowered the meet record from a fellow SEC rival in Proud who swam at the University of Florida.
Seidt moved up to 14th in the world rankings for 2019 as she is now the fifth fastest American this year. She is the top seed heading into tomorrow’s finals ahead of Texas A&M grad Lisa Bratton of the United States (2:09.29).
The two Americans were the only swimmers to break 2:10 in the semi finals as Great Britain’s Chloe Golding (2:10.37) is the third seed. Germany’s Sonnele Ozturk (2:11.27) is the fourth seed as she swims collegiately at Auburn. There were four swimmers advancing to the final with ties to American universities. Seidt (Kentucky), Bratton (Texas A&M), Ozturk (Auburn) and Canada’s Kennedy Goss (Indiana) all advanced. Goss is the seventh seed at 2:12.74.
Great Britain’s Kathryn Greenslade (2:11.41), Moldova’s Tatiana Salcutan (2:12.19) and Japan’s Marina Furubayashi (2:13.19) also advanced to the final.
Results:
- Asia Seidt, USA, 2:08.81, UR
- Lisa Bratton, USA, 2:09.29
- Chloe Golding, GBR, 2:10.37
- Sonnele Ozturk, GER, 2:11.27
- Kathryn Greenslade, GBR, 2:11.41
- Tatiana Salcutan, MDA, 2:12.19
- Kennedy Goss, CAN, 2:12.74
- Marina Furubayashi, JPN, 2:13.19
- Vera Koprivova, CZE, 2:13.20
- Nadine Laemmler, GER, 2:13.25
- Irina Prikhodko, RUS, 2:13.63
- Nathania Van Niekerk, RSA, 2:13.81
- Olivia Ellard, CAN, 2:14.74
- Anastasiia Osipenko, RUS, 2:14.80
- Tereza Gruzova, CZE, 2:15.65
- Calypso Sheridan, AUS, 2:16.93
