Cuban swimmers at the Mare Nostrum

Havana, May 18 (RHC) - The young Laurent Estrada was the most outstanding swimmer for Cuba in the first day of the second stop of the prestigious Mare Nostrum swimming circuit, based in Barcelona.

Laurent set a personal record of 30.21 in the 50 backstroke and came close again to the national record of the distance held by Andrea Becali (30.19), who this time registered 30.68.

According to the site Followers of Cuban Swimming, on Facebook, shortly after the Cuban swimmer went below 58 seconds for the first time in the 100 freestyle, with a time of 57.88.

In the 100 freestyle, the best Cuban swimmer in recent years, Elisbet Gámez, placed 28th, with a time of 56.80 seconds, while another Cuban, Lorena González, was 37th, with 57.32.

Andrea Becali registered 2.19.97 in the 200 backstroke (18th place).

This Thursday, the four Cuban swimmers coached by Luis María Mojarrieta, who also competed in the first phase of the Mare Nostrum, in Canet (France), will compete for the second time in the Olympic pool of Sant Andreu, all in the 200 freestyle.

In statements to the digital newspaper Jit, the national commissioner Nelson Garcia, pondered the progress shown by Lorena Gonzalez and Laurent Estrada, by improving their times by almost one second in the 100m freestyle.

"It is very important because the 4x100 relay can surpass in more than two seconds what it did in the open tournament in Santo Domingo. This strengthens our intentions for San Salvador 2023, the main objective that we come to seek in this circuit," said the federator.

And in California, Rodolfo Falcón Jr. finished sixth in the 1500 freestyle of the Pro Swim Series "Mission Viejo", once again under 16 minutes (15.59.10).