Poland’s Chmielewski Brothers Tune-Up for Paris in Poland (International Meet Round-Up)

National record holders and top swimmers from Croatia, Poland, and Switzerland continue to touch 1st at international meets, but have they qualified for Paris? Let’s take a look.

Pavalic Breaks Meet Record at Vienna International Swim Meet

• May 9-12, 2024
• Stadthallenbad Hütteldorferstraße, Vienna, Austria
• LCM
• Meet Results: MSECM myResults
• Meet Records: ausschreibung.pdf (msecm.at)

Croatia’s 16-year-old Jana Pavalic touched 1st in the 50 free (25.21) to break the Vienna International Swim Meet record time of 25.43. Her time was just shy of the personal best (25.20) she earned in March of this year.

Although Pavalic currently holds Croatian records in the 50 free (25.20), 100 free (56.09), 50 butterfly (26.35) and 4 × 100 m freestyle relay (3:49.56), she has not officially qualified for the Paris Olympics. The Olympic consideration time for the 50 free is 24.82.

Chmielewski Brothers Finish 1st and 2nd in 200 Fly at Open Spring Championships of WMOZP and Warsaw District (Otwarte Wiosenne Mistrzostwa Okregu Wmozp)

• May 11-12, 2024
• Sports and Rehabilitation Center of the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland
• LCM
• Meet Results: wmozp.pl/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/wyniki-5.htm

Twin brothers Krzysztof Chmielewski and Michal Chmielewski earned 1st (1:56.78) and 2nd (1:58.10) in the 200 fly at the Open Spring Championships of WMOZP and Warsaw District.

The brothers swam for the University of Southern California this past season. Krzysztof Chmielewski placed 16th in the 200 fly (1:43.77) in finals at NCAA Championships after gaining time from prelims (1:40.98). Michal Chmielewski did not make it back to finals in the event. His time (1:41.97) ranked him 21st.

Both are headed to the Paris Games this year where they will represent Poland in the 200 fly. Krzysztof Chmielewski qualified in 2023 at the World Aquatics Championships when he got his best time of 1:53.62. Michal Chmielewski’s best is 1:54.88.

Krzysztof Chmielewski competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where he placed 8th in the 200 fly (1:55.88).

The Chmielewski brothers also swam the 200 back at the meet where they got out-touched by Radoslaw Kawecki (2:02.32). Kawecki represented Poland at the 2012 London Olympics, 2016 Rio Olympics, and 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He holds Poland’s record in the 200 LCM back (1:54.24).

Kawecki has not qualified for the Paris Games yet.

Ponti Crushes Field in 200 Free at Meeting del Verbano Tenero (SUI)

• May 11-12, 2024
• Locarno, Switzerland
• LCM
• Meet Results: ResultList_14.pdf (swimrankings.net)

Switzerland’s Noe Ponti crushed the field in the 200 free (1:48.55) at the Meeting del Verbano Tenero (SUI) by over eight seconds. The time was less than a second from his best (1:47.76).

Ponti holds national records in LCM for the 50 fly (22.65), 100 fly (50.16), 200 fly (1:54.20), 4 × 100 free relay (3:13.41), 4 × 200 free relay (7:06.12), and 4 × 100 medley relay (3:35.46).

Ponti also competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics where he won bronze in the 100 fly (50.74), making him Switzerland’s first men’s 100 fly Olympic finalist.

He will be representing Switzerland again in Paris in the 100 fly and 200 fly.