PALMA DE MALLORCA, Spain, April 10. THE first night of action at the Spanish Long Course Nationals featured a Spanish record as well as a tough double by Mireia Belmonte Garcia.
Jessica Vall Montero became the first female from Spain to break 1:07 in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke with a 1:06.81 to win the finale this evening. That swim broke the Spanish record of 1:07.08 previously set by Marina Garcia Urzainqui during the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona. It also moved Vall Montero to third in the SwimVortex world rankings behind Rikke Moller Pedersen (1:06.19) and Kanako Watanabe (1:06.53). Garcia Urzainqui wound up taking second this evening with a 1:07.87, while Concepcion Badillo Diaz placed third in 1:08.62.
Mireia Belmonte Garcia rocketed to the top of the world rankings in the women’s 200-meter fly with a 2:06.33 for the win tonight. Judit Ignacio Sorribes remained close to Belmonte Garcia throughout the swim en route to a second-place 2:06.79 as the two swimmers moved to the top of the rankings. Previously, Australia’s Madeline Groves had held the top time with a 2:06.81 from the NSW State Championships. Anne Mills finished third overall tonight in 2:11.81.
Belmonte Garcia then doubled up with an 8:25.83 to win the women’s 800-meter free. That’s off her second-ranked season best of 8:23.45 from the Mediterranean Open from France earlier this year, but was plenty enough to win her second title of the night. Beatriz Gomez Cortes placed second in 8:30.27 with Maria Vilas Vidal taking third in 8:35.73.
Miguel Ortiz opened the night in the men’s 50-meter free with a winning time of 22.36, while Rafael Munoz Perez touched in 22.69 to take second in the splash-and-dash. Bruno Ortiz rounded out the podium with a third-place time of 22.72. Fatima Gallardo followed with a 25.61 to win the women’s 50-meter freestyle finale. Lidon Munoz Del Campo finished second in 26.20 with Marta Gonzalez Crivillers taking third in 26.31.
Eduardo Solaeche Gomez powered his way to the title in the men’s 100-meter breast with a time of 1:01.56 with Melquiades Alvarez Caraballo finishing second overall in 1:02.14. Carlos Almeida wrapped up the podium with a third-place effort of 1:02.19.
Carlos Peralta topped the men’s 200-meter fly in 1:58.13 with Goncalo Quintanilha finishing second overall in 1:59.00 tonight. Javier Rivas Gallego rounded out the top three in 2:00.82. Pedro Oliveira snatched the men’s 200-meter backstroke crown in 1:59.91, while Alejandro Garcia placed second in 2:02.53. Keith Theodoris raced to third in 2:02.77. Duane Da Rocha Marce touched out Melanie Costa Schmid, 2:11.73 to 2:11.79, for the women’s 200-meter backstroke title with Africa Zamorano earning third in 2:12.11.
Marc Torrens turned in a 15:13.81 to win the men’s 1500-meter freestyle finale tonight, while Antonio Arroyo Perez finished second in 15:21.70. Marc Vivas Egea earned third in the timed finale event with a 15:37.40.