Records fall and champions rise on Day 3 of the 53rd WMC Swimming in Germany
WARENDORF (GER) - The third day of the 53rd World Military Swimming Championship in Warendorf, Germany, brought with it a series of exhilarating races, jaw-dropping finishes, and performances that will go down in history. Held on December 12, 2024, the day proved to be a showcase of speed, skill, and determination as athletes from around the world competed for glory in the pool.
The 200m Backstroke Female final kicked off the day’s events with a stunning victory by Germany’s Maya Werner. She clocked an impressive 2:14.35 to take gold, much to the delight of the home crowd. Brazil’s Maria Pessanha followed closely behind, securing silver in 2:16.09, while Poland’s Aleksandra Polanska claimed the bronze in 2:22.39. In the men’s 200m Backstroke, a thrilling race saw the Republic of Korea’s Won Young Jun edge out Switzerland’s Flavio Bucca to claim gold with a time of 2:01.00, just 0.20 seconds ahead of Bucca, who finished in 2:01.20. Another Swiss swimmer, Christian Schreiber, rounded out the podium with a time of 2:08.35, earning the bronze.
The 50m Freestyle events were nothing short of spectacular, with records shattered and fierce competition across the board. In the women’s final, Brazil’s Lorrane Ferreira surged to victory, clinching gold with a time of 25.25 seconds. Poland’s Anna Dowgiert and Germany’s Laura Riedemann followed in 25.67 seconds and 27.00 seconds, respectively, earning silver and bronze. The men’s event saw an incredible performance by Ukraine’s Vladyslav Bukhov, who set a new CISM World Record (CWR) with a blistering time of 21.97 seconds, a feat that will be remembered for years to come. Brazil’s Victor Aleará and Ukraine’s Illia Linnyk also put on impressive performances, finishing second and third with times of 22.55 seconds and 22.85 seconds, respectively.
The 200m Individual Medley Female final saw Brazil’s Gabrielle Assis dominate the field, capturing gold in 2:20.48. Just behind her, Poland’s Paula Zukowska secured silver with a time of 2:21.66, while Germany’s Leonie Kullmann completed the podium in 2:22.61. The men’s equivalent event was equally exciting, with Switzerland’s Gian-Luca Gartmann emerging victorious in 1:59.90. Brazil’s Stephan Steverink was just 0.21 seconds behind, claiming silver in 2:00.11, and the Republic of Korea’s Yang Sug Hyun finished in 2:00.68, earning bronze.
In the 100m Breaststroke Female, Gabrielle Assis added another gold to her collection, finishing in 1:09.46. Ava Petre of France took silver in 1:18.93, while Rody Vanhijfte of the Netherlands grabbed the bronze with 1:28.26. On the men’s side, Ukraine’s Maksym Ovchinnikov claimed gold in 1:01.68, narrowly edging out the Republic of Korea’s Yang Sug Hyun, who finished in 1:02.07. Greece’s Marios Theodoros Zafeiropoulos completed the top three with 1:02.21.
The final event of the day, the 4x100m Medley Mixed Relay, was a thrilling conclusion to an action-packed day. Team Brazil—comprised of Maria Pessanha, Gabrielle Assis, Guilherme Rosolen, and Victor Aleará—reigned supreme, clinching gold with a time of 3:54.74. Team Germany, featuring Laura Riedemann, Luca Nik Armbruster, David Thomasberger, and Leonie Kullmann, put up a strong performance to take silver in 3:59.77. Team Poland, made up of Tomasz Polewka, Adam Dubiel, Hubert Nakielski, and Anna Dowgiert, secured bronze with a time of 4:15.64.
For those who missed the action or want to relive the thrilling moments, the entire day’s events are available for replay on the official LOC YouTube channel here.
As the championship draws to a close, the final day, December 13, promises to bring even more excitement. The events include the 200m Freestyle Female and Male, 50m Backstroke Female and Male, the 1500m Freestyle Male (Fastest Heat), 100m Butterfly Female and Male, and the highly anticipated relay events: 4x100m Freestyle Female and Male, 4x50m Freestyle Mixed (Para-Athletes), and the 4x50m Freestyle Mixed (Staff-Relay). With athletes eager to make their final mark, the stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to what has already been a remarkable competition. Stay tuned for the results and highlights.
Results Day 3- Qualifications - Finals
(Source: CISM Media & Communication Department – Pictures: Bundeswehr)
