Saarnak Completes Day One of European Championships
Aug. 11, 2010
Budapest, Hungary – University of Miami swimmer Annika Saarnak completed the first two events of the LEN European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Weds., Aug. 11, competing in the 50m butterfly and 100m freestyle. The Championships will continue through Sun., Aug. 15.
Saarnak, a senior under head swimming coach Christie Shefchunas, and one her top recruits in her first year at the helm of the Hurricanes swimming program, finished 22nd overall in the 50 butterfly, touching the wall in a time of 27.69 seconds during the prelims. Sweden’s Therese Alshammar took the top time in the qualifying round of the 50m fly with a time of 25.80.
In her next event, Saarnak took to the water in the 100m freestyle – one of her best events. Already the Estonia national record-holder (54.78) in the 100m free, she finished 52nd overall in the qualifying round, turning in a time of 58.82 seconds. The top qualifying time belonged to Belarus’ Aliaksandra Herasimenia who registered a time of 54.13 seconds.
Originally scheduled to compete in the 200m free, Saarnak has scratched from that event, and will participate in two other events before concluding this year’s Championships. She will take part in the 100m butterfly on Thurs., Aug. 12, in the qualifying round, before attempting to qualify in the 50m freestyle on Sat., Aug. 14.
Saarnak is representing her home country of Estonia (officially titled the Republic of Estonia) in this year’s Championships, and is a native of Pühalepa, Estonia, a municipality of Kärdla in Hiiu County.
First-year UM assistant swim coach Shaun Zitani is accompanying Saarnak in Budapest.
The European Aquatics Championships is organized by the LEN, the governing body for aquatics in Europe. Since 1999, they have included 4 aquatics disciplines: swimming (long course/50m pool), diving, synchronized swimming and open water swimming. Since 2000, they have been held biennially, in even-numbered years.
For a complete list of events and updated times and results for the LEN European Championships, please click here.
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