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
- FinaTV Live Stream
- Entry Lists
Reigning European Champion Simona Quadarella has announced she will not be contesting the women’s 400m freestyle event at the 2019 FINA World Aquatic Championships, whose swimming portion starts on Sunday, July 21st.
The 20-year-old Italian has said she will be foregoing the 400m freestyle, an event in which she nailed a 4:06.92 at the Italian Nationals this past April in Riccione to qualify for Worlds, to instead focus on the 800m and 1500m free events. Quadarella currently ranks 9th in the world in the former in 8:25.55, while she ranks 3rd in the world in the latter with a time of 15:48.84.
Quadarella swept the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events at the 2018 European Championships, producing times of 4:03.35, 8:16.45 and 15:51.61, respectively.
At the Italian National Championships in Riccione, Giorgia Romei and Linda Caponi finished behind Quadarlla in the 400m, punching respective marks of 4:08.30 and 4:09.70, both of which fell under the FINA A cut of 4:10.57. However, the women did not dip under the Italian Swimming Federation’s QT of 4:06.2 and neither were named to the Italian roster for the World Championships.
Quadarella’s PB of 4:03.35 from last year’s Euros positioned her as the 6th seeded swimmer in the 400m free, so her absence will certainly be felt.
It’s sensible based on times and other competitors. The 400 only has a bronze available to anyone who can’t go 3:59 or better.
obviously her best event is the 800 but…. whichever way I look at it, she has the same chance in both the 1500 and 400 for a medal, she must like the distance
Lol no. She isn’t anywhere near medal threat in 400
Please….her best event is obviously the 1500
She knows what she wants
And she knows what she’s capable of and what’s required to win medal in certain events
I have a feeling her 1500 is going to be quite special. I think she’ll go 15:43-15:44 and grab silver.