World Aquatics Announces 34 Wildcard Athletes for World Short Course Championships
Less than a month out from the World Short Course Championships in Beijing, World Aquatics has announced the 34 athletes who have been granted wildcard entries into the competition. The swimmers represent 18 nations and will be in action at the Water Cube, the venue which hosted the 2008 Olympic Games. This year marks the first time that World Aquatics has implemented a wildcard program.
Wildcard bids were earned based on performances during the recent World Cup circuit, which was held along the Silk Road. Among the leading names to secure a wildcard invitation was Australia’s Cam McEvoy, the reigning Olympic champion in the 50-meter freestyle. The world-record holder in the long-course version of the 50 freestyle, McEvoy will take aim at the short-course standard at the World Champs. The mark is held by Jordan Crooks at 19.90.
Also securing a wildcard berth to the World Championships (Dec. 1-6) was the Netherlands’ Marrit Steenbergen, who was the overall World Cup winner for her efforts in October. Steenbergen will contest a busy schedule in Beijing, including action in the 100 freestyle, where she is expected to duel with American Kate Douglass. Steenbergen is the world-record holder in the event in long course, while Douglass owns the short-course record.
Here is a list of the wildcard entries:
- Isaac Cooper (AUS)
- Cameron McEvoy (AUS)
- Florine Gaspard (BEL)
- Lucas Henveaux (BEL)
- Roos Vanotterdijk (BEL)
- Grigori Pekarski (BLR)
- Finlay Knox (CAN)
- Taylor Ruck (CAN)
- Blake Tierney (CAN)
- Juner Chen(CHN)
- Yiting Yu (CHN)
- Jan Cejka (CZE)
- Laura Lahtinen (FIN)
- Freya Constance Colbert (GBR)
- Abbie Wood (GBR)
- Siobhan Haughey (HKG)
- Alberto Razzetti (ITA)
- Waka Kobori (JPN)
- So Ogata (JPN)
- Caspar Corbeau (NED)
- Sean Niewold (NED)
- Marrit Steenbergen (NED)
- Caitlin Deans (NZL)
- Matthew Caldwell (RSA)
- Pieter Coetze (RSA)
- Michael Houlie (RSA)
- Ilia Borodin (RUS)
- Egor Kornev (RUS)
- Kirill Prigoda (RUS)
- Ching Hwee Gan (SGP)
- Tzen Wei Teong (SGP)
- Sara Junevik (SWE)
- Luke Barr (USA)
- Anna Peplowski (USA)