UM's Saarnak Completes 200m Freestyle at FINA Championships
July 28, 2009
Complete Results in PDF Format 
Rome, Italy – Annika Saarnak, a sophomore swimmer for the University of Miami, took part in the women’s 200-meter freestyle on Tuesday as part of the FINA World Championships at the Stadio del Nuoto in Italy’s capital city of Rome. Saarnak, a native of Puhaleda, is swimming for her home country of Estonia.
In the prelims, Saarnak completed the 200-meter event with a time of 2:05.15. She ended the first 100 meters at 1:00.63 before coming to the 150-meter mark at 1:33.32. For Saarnak, this is just her second “meter” or long-course event of the year, while she normally competes in “yard” or short-course events collegiately for UM.
She will not advance to the semifinals of the 200-meter free, but will now instead set her sights on the 100-meter free on Thursday. In her efforts at the FINA World Championships, Saarnak represents the first-ever swimmer for UM third-year head coach Christie Shefchunas at a world championships event.
During the 2008-09 season, Saarnak posted 19 of the Hurricanes’ Top 10 season times in the 50-, 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. She held the top spot in each of the 50-, 100- and 200-freestyle events, respectively.
Saarnak was also a part of 16 of Miami’s Top 10 season-best performances in the 200, 400- and 800 yard freestyle relays. Alongside teammates Britta Boesing, Lauren Jacoby and Ryann Labreche, she helped to establish a new school record for the Hurricanes 800 free relay squad during the Atlantic Coast Conference Swimming & Diving Championships in College Park, Md.
The FINA World Championships or “World Aquatics Championships” are the World Championships for aquatic sports: diving, swimming, open water swimming, synchronized swimming and water polo. The Championships are run by FINA (Fédération Internationale de Natation). In the pool, swimming events are contested in a 50-meter, or “long course” pool.
The event was first held in 1973, and is now held every two years. From 1978-1998, the World Championships were held every four years, in the even years between Summer Olympic years. From 2001 on, the World Championships has been held every two years, in the off years.
For more information on the University of Miami Swimming & Diving team, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, results and information regarding the Hurricanes Swimming & Diving program.
