Anthony Ervin Logs 4th Race of Season at 2019 Masters Nationals

U.S. MASTERS SWIMMING SUMMER NATIONALS

• Aug. 7-11, 2019
• Mission Viejo, Calif.
• Live Event Coverage

Olympic champion Anthony Ervin, 38, swam his fourth race of the 2018-2019 season Thursday morning in Mission Viejo a the 2019 U.S. Masters Summer Nationals.

He went 23.09 to win the 35-39 age group (a new USMS record). Wyatt Ubellacker, in the 25-29 age group, was the only swimmer faster, going 23.04. Ervin swam a 50 free at all three stops of the inaugural FINA Champions Series in the spring, going 22.90 in Guangzou, 22.82 in Budapest and 22.68 in Indianapolis.

Last year at this time, Ervin was 22.74 in prelims at the 2018 U.S. National Championships, then 22.68 in a swim-off. He said at that meet that he plans to swim through the Olympic quad with his goal specifically being to make the 50 free final at 2020 Olympic Trials, and recently posted on Instagram after completing a sprint triathlon that he’d be shifting his focus back to swimming.

He’s also entered in the 100 free and 50 fly this week.

In the women’s 50 free, Holly Green Blair (Palm Beach Masters) set a USMS record and FINA masters world record, going 28.46. She won her age group by nearly two seconds.

Jamie Fowler, of Novaquatics Masters, kicked off Thursday’s sessions with a USMS record and FINA masters world record in the men’s 60-64 200 backstroke. He went 2:26.12, winning the age group by a 9.5-second margin.

Walnut Creek Masters’ Bonnie Bilich also set a FINA masters world record and USMS record in the women’s 60-64 200 backstroke, going 2:41.57; she won the age group by just under 21 seconds. Laura Val, who swims for Tamalpais Aquatics Masters and owns tens of USMS records, went 2:47.70 to break the women’s 65-69 200 backstroke USMS record and FINA Masters world record.