Hugo Gonzalez Rips 1:56.48 200 IM On Day 4 Of Spanish Trials

By Retta Race on SwimSwam

2024 SPANISH SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Tuesday, June 18th – Saturday, June 22nd
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
LCM (50m)
Olympic Qualifying Event
Day 1 Recap |Day 2 Recap | Day 3 Recap
Results

The Spanish roster grew once again on day 4 of the nation’s Swimming Championships, the competition that represents the Olympic Trials.

Arbidel Gonzalez made it happen in the men’s 200m fly, busting out a time of 1:55.66 to win the event in Paris-qualifying fashion.

21-year-old Gonzalez split 26.52/29.63/29.53/29.98 to get under the World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Time of 1:55.78. His effort checks in as the 3rd-best time of his career, one which boasts a lifetime best of 1:54.99 from the prelims at the 2023 World Championships.

Miguel Martinez settled for silver in 1:56.74 while Taipei’s Wang Hsing-Hao rounded out the podium in 1:58.34.

The women’s 200m IM also saw a swimmer make the Paris grade with Emma Carrasco cranking out a mark of 2:11.11.

That not only beat her competitors by 0ver 3 seconds but it also cleared the OQT of 2:11.47 set by World Aquatics. Carrasco’s performance also represents a lifetime best, slashing over half a second off her previous PB of 2:11.68 nabbed this past February.

Alba Vazquez was the silver medalist behind Carrasco, clocking 2:14.38 while Olympic champion Mireia Belmonte fell to bronze in 2:16.75.

After already turning heads with his 1:54.51 Spanish record in the 200m back earlier in the meet, 25-year-old Hugo Gonzalez followed up with an impressive outing in the 200m IM.

The Cal Bear fired off a mark of 1:56.48 to add the event to his Olympic lineup, winning decisively over Wang who touched in 1:59.97. The next-closest Spaniard was Radu Neata who captured bronze in 2:02.98.

Gonzalez’s 1:56.48 performance checks in as the 2nd-swiftest performance of his career, falling just .17 shy of the 1:56.31 PB he posted 4 years ago on the 2021 Mare Nostrum Tour.

He now ranks 9th in the world on the season.

Additional Notes

Laura Cabanes posted a winning time of 2:09.03 as one of two sub-2:10 swimmers in the women’s 200m fly. Joining her was Paula Juste who notched 2:09.50 followed by Julia Pujadas who bagged bronze in 2:10.40. Unfortunately, the field needed to hit at least 2:08.43 to qualify for Paris.
The women’s 50m free saw Lidon Munoz get it done for gold in 25.13.
Sergio Montalban topped the men’s 50m free podium in 22.16, with Diego Ribeiro of Portugal tying him as co-gold medalist.

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