Just a week after capturing two bronze medals at the FINA World Junior Swimming Championships in Monterrey, Mexico, Alexandra Gabor has done it again.
Swimming in her first finals at a national meet, Gabor took bronze in the 200-metre freestyle at the Canadian Senior National Championships in Winnipeg on Thursday morning.
“I was really happy and excited that I got bronze because it was something I had never done before and I was really pumped up before the race,” said Gabor, 15, who swam the 200 metres in two minutes, 2.27 seconds.
“I think my time could have been a little better, but I’m not worried about it now, I’ve got three meets left this summer after this one.”
Gabor swam in her first national meet two-years ago. Her attendance in Winnipeg marks her sixth.
Last weekend in Mexico, Gabor earned bronze as a leadoff swimmer in the 4x200 freestyle relay and another as the anchor in the 4x100 freestyle relay as a member of Team Canada.
“I told the coaches I like to go first or last — I think it worked out well,” said Gabor. “Usually the fastest people go first or last.”
While competing as the leadoff swimmer in the 4x200-metre, Gabor set her personal best for the 200 freestyle, going the distance in 2:01.85.
“It was a great experience, it was so much fun,” added Gabor, speaking of the meet in Mexico. “The team was great … I’m glad I went.”
In her only individual event at the FINA Championships, Gabor advanced to the finals in the 200-metre freestyle and finished sixth overall with a time of 2:02.49.
The current world record for the 200 freestyle is 1:55.52, set last year in Melbourne, Australia, by Laure Manaudou of France. Manaudou also holds the record for the 400 freestyle.
While in Winnipeg, Gabor will also be competing in 50-metre, 100-metre, 400-metre and the 800-metre freestyle events.
Next weekend, Gabor will be traveling to Calgary for the Canadian Age Group National Championships and will be competing with Whitehorse residents, Brice Harding, Tanner Cassidy and Spencer Sumanik.
Then in the first weekend in August, Gabor will compete against swimmers from Canada, Great Britain and France in the Tri-Nations Cup being held in Quebec City.
Finally, Gabor will be competing in the North American Challenge Cup in Edmonton in the weekend of August 9 and 10.