BUDAPEST, Hungary – Three swimmers with Alabama swimming and diving ties competed on the first day of the 2017 FINA World Championships being held in Budapest, Hungary, this week.
Kristian Gkolomeev, who won three NCAA championships for the Crimson Tide between 2014 and 2016, led Greece to an 11th-place finish in the 400-meter freestyle relay in a time of 3:16.92. A two-time Olympian, Gkolomeev anchored the Greek effort with a 47.87, the sixth-fastest split out of prelims. Gkolomeev also clocked a 23.85 to take 20th in the 50-meter butterfly on the championships’ first day. He will return to action later in the week with the 100m freestyle (July 26) and 50m freestyle (July 28).
Rising senior Zane Waddell also swam in the 400m freestyle relay, leading South Africa to a 12th place finish in the preliminaries with a time of 3:17.41 after posting a 49.07 from the anchor spot. Waddell will also swim the 100m freestyle on July 26 and the 50m freestyle on July 28.
Incoming rookie Flora Molnar, a 2016 Olympian, opened her World Championships by leading off Hungary’s ninth-place 3:38.90 400m freestyle relay with a 54.93. Molnar is slated to swim the 50m butterfly (July 28) and the 50m freestyle (July 29) later in the week.
