Kristel Kobrich is slated to extend her own record after qualifying for her 11th World Championships in two events at last weekend’s Pro Swim Series stop in Westmont.
Last year, the 37-year-old Chilean distance specialist became the first swimmer with 10 appearances at World Championships, dating back to 2003.
Kobrich clocked an 8:37.18 in the women’s 800 free on the opening night of the meet, sneaking under the 2023 World Championships ‘A’ cut of 8:37.90. The five-time Olympian placed third behind Beatriz Dizotti (8:32.93) and Leah Smith (8:28.23).
Then Kobrich closed out her week in Westmont with a runner-up finish in the 1500 free, posting a 16:10.58 that was well under the 2023 Worlds ‘A’ cut of 16:29.57. She reached the wall just about a second and a half shy of the Paris 2024 Olympic ‘A’ cut of 16:09.09, almost 10 seconds faster than her eighth-place finish at last year’s World Championships (16:20.24). Both her 800 free and 1500 free times were under the Olympic consideration times, or ‘B’ cuts.
Dizotti, a 23-year-old Brazilian, earned an Olympic ‘A’ cut in the 1500 free with her first-place finish in 16:08.29.
Kobrich’s lifetime bests in the 800 free and 1500 free are 8:26.75 and 15:54.30, respectively, from over a decade ago. They still stand as Chilean national records today.
Westmont marked Kobrich’s first meet in six months since the South American Games last October. Along with Worlds this summer, she is also set to compete at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where she’ll be an ambassador and podium favorite.
If Kobrich competes at Paris 2024, she’ll become one of five swimmers ever to appear at six Olympics. Only Turkey’s Derya Buyukuncu, Tunisia’s Oussama Mellouli, and the Swedish duo of Lars Frolander and Therese Alshammar have accomplished the feat.
