Maksym Shemberev Becomes Azerbaijan’s First Ever World Champs Swimming Finalist

2019 FINA WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• All sports: Friday, July 12 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• Pool swimming: Sunday, July 21 – Sunday, July 28, 2019
• The Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center, Gwangju, Korea
• Meet site
• Competition Schedule
• FinaTV Live Stream
• Entry Lists
• Results

Azerbaijani swimmer Maksym Shemberev has become the first swimmer in the history of his country to qualify for a swimming final at the FINA World Championships in either short course or long course. In prelims of the 400 IM on Sunday, the last day of the 2019 World Championships, Shemberev finished 6th in 4:14.62. While that falls short of his National Record of 4:13.61 set at the Doha World Cup last year, this swim came at the right meet to qualify him for a final.

While Shemberev currently represents one energy-rich, former Soviet Republic, Azerbaijan, he formerly represented another energy-rich, former Soviet Republic, Ukraine. The 26-year old was born in Kiev, but changed his sporting citizenship from Ukraine to Azerbaijan in 2015 after representing the former at the 2012 Olympic Games. There he finished 15th overall in the 400 IM.

He actually holds National Records in the 400 IM in both nations: he swam 4:15.64 at the 2011 World Junior Championships representing Ukraine, which was a Championship Record and good for gold.

He represented Azerbaijan at the 2016, 2017, and 2018 European Championships, but this is his first World Championship under his new flag. He won 4 gold medals at the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games for Azerbaijan, topping the 200 fly, 400 IM, 800 free, and 1500 free.