TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Current, future and former members of the Florida State men’s swimming team will compete at the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain. The meet will take place at the Palau Sant Jordi from July 28-Aug. 4.
“This is great for our program,” Florida State Head Coach Frank Bradley said. “It’s great exposure to have these guys competing on the world scene as this is the biggest meet of the year in that aspect.”
Rising senior Pavel Sankovich is scheduled to compete in the 50m back and the 100m back as well as the 100m fly. Sankovich was the Belarusian champion in the 50m (25.37) and 100m back (54.46) at the World Trials in May, where he also added a second place finish in the 100m fly (52.44). He is the Belarusian national record holder in the 50m back at 25.25.
Sankovich will spring into action on Monday with the prelims of the 100m back. Sankovich will then swim the 100m fly on Friday before contesting in his final event, the 50m back on Saturday, Aug. 3
As a two-time Olympian, Sankovich will look to improve upon his 18th place showing at the 2012 Olympic Games in the 100m back.
Also competing in the meet is former Seminole, Mateo De Angulo. A 2012 Olympian, the Cali, Colombia native will represent his country by swimming the 200m on Monday and 1500m free on Saturday, Aug. 3
“It feels great swimming at the World Championships and racing with the best in the world,” De Angulo said. “It’s always a great honor for me to represent my country. I feel very happy and humbled competing for my nation and I am looking to put my best races together here in Barcelona.”
De Angulo is the Colombian national record holder in the 400m (3:53.66), 800m (8:05.98) and 1500m (15:29.06) free events.
Both Sankovich and De Angulo will be participating in their third-career World Championships.
Bradley first coached De Angulo during his freshman season at Indian River State College.
“For me personally, it’s great to come back here and work with Mateo again,” Bradley said. “Getting to work with Pavel for the first time it’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve, but it’s given us the opportunity to have a short and intense working experience. We have to work closely and quickly in order to develop his training.”
Two Seminoles will be making their World Championship debuts. Rising senior McKayla Lightbourn will represent the Bahamas at the meet, while incoming freshman Jemal Le Grand will represent Aruba.
Lightbourn will swim the 200m IM on Sunday and the 100m back on Monday.
Le Grand is scheduled to compete in the 100 free on Wednesday. The Plantation, Fla. native was the 2012 1A State Champion in the 100 free while representing Sagemont Upper School.
At the London Games, Le Grand posted his best time in the 100 free at 51.86, placing him 40th.
