 BUDAPEST, Hungary – Indiana University’s Blake Pieroni won a gold medal on the first day of the 2017 FINA Swimming World Championships on Sunday in Budapest, Hungary.
Swimming with Team USA in the championship final of the 4x100m freestyle relay, Pieroni helped the American win gold, touching the wall with a time of 3:10.06. Swimming in the third leg, the rising senior posted a great time of 48.09.
In the morning prelims, Pieroni led off for Team USA, registering an Indiana school record time of 48.40 in his 100 free leg.
In the semifinals of the men’s 100 breaststroke, Indiana alum Cody Miller qualified third overall for Monday’s championship final with a time of 59.08. Miller’s mark is the third-best all-time in IU history.
In the championship final of the 400 free, IU postgrad swimmer Zane Grothe had a great showing, placing seventh in the world with a time of 3:45.86. Earlier in the 400 free prelims, IU alum Marwan Elkamash just missed out on a spot in the championship final, placing ninth overall with a school record time of 3:46.36.
Along with Miller in the championship final of the 100 breast on Monday, IU’s Pieroni, Elkamash and Lilly King will all be in action. Pieroni and Elkamash will swim in the prelims of the 200 freestyle, while King will compete in the prelims of the 100 breaststroke.
Prelims are scheduled to begin at 3:30 a.m. ET, with the final of the men’s 100 breast and semifinals of the women’s 100 breast and men’s 200 freestyle starting at 11:30 a.m. ET.
Men’s 400 Freestyle
- Zane Grothe – 3:45.86 (3:46.14 prelims)
- Marwan Elkamash – 3:46.36 (IU School Record)
Men’s 100 Breaststroke
Cody Miller – 59.08 (59.14 prelims)
Men’s 4×100 Freestyle Relay
- Blake Pieroni (Team USA) – 3:10.06 (Pieroni third leg – 48.09)
48.40 leadoff split in prelims – IU School Record
