Alba Vázquez

Alba Vázquez Ruiz (born 24 February 2002) is a Spanish swimmer who specializes in breaststroke and individual medley events. She is the world junior record holder in the 400 metre individual medley. At the 2019 European Junior Championships she won a gold medal in the 400 metre individual medley. She won one gold medal and one silver medal at the 2019 World Junior Championships in individual medley events.

Alba Vázquez
Personal information
Full nameAlba Vázquez Ruiz
National team Spain
Born (2002-02-24) 24 February 2002[1]
Spain
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesBreaststroke, individual medley
Medal record
Women's swimming
Representing  Spain
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Swimming World Cup 0 0 2
World Junior Championships 1 1 0
European Junior Championships 1 0 0
Total 2 1 2
Swimming World Cup
2018 Doha 200 m breaststroke
2018 Doha 400 m medley
World Junior Championships
2019 Budapest 400 m medley
2019 Budapest 200 m medley
European Junior Championships
2019 Kazan 400 m medley

Early life

Vázquez was born 24 February 2002 in Spain.[1]

Career

2018 Swimming World Cup: Doha
2018 World Cup — Doha
200 m breaststroke 2:30.33
400 m individual medley 4:48.68

At the 2018 FINA Swimming World Cup stop held at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar, Vázquez won her first medal in the 200 metre breaststroke where she posted a time of 2:30.33 to finish 6.78 seconds behind the gold medalist in the event, Yuliya Yefimova of Russia, 6.27 seconds seconds behind the silver medalist, Vitalina Simonova of Russia, and win the bronze medal.[2] In the 400 metre individual medley, Vázquez won another bronze medal, finishing only after Katinka Hosszú of Hungary and Zsuzsanna Jakabos of Hungary with her time of 4:48.68.[3]

2019 European Junior Championships
2019 European Junior Championships
400 m individual medley 4:40.64 (CR)

In July 2019, at the 2019 European Junior Swimming Championships held at the Palace of Water Sports in Kazan, Russia, Vázquez set a new Championships record in the 400 metre individual medley with her gold-medal-winning time of 4:40.64, breaking the former record of 4:40.88 set in 2009 by Gráinne Murphy of Ireland.[4][5]

2019 World Junior Championships
2019 World Junior Championships
400 m mixed medley 4:38.53 (WJ,CR)
200 m individual medley 2:13.43

On the first day of competition, 20 August, of the 2019 World Junior Championships at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary, Vázquez advanced to the final of the 400 metre individual medley with a time of 4:43.17 that ranked her first overall.[6] In the final of the 400 metre individual medley later the same day, Vázquez won the gold medal in the event with a world junior record and Championships record time of 4:38.53, breaking the former records set by Rosie Rudin of Great Britain in 2015.[7][8][9] Her world junior record was the first one set at the 2019 World Junior Championships.[10] With her swim, Vázquez also became the second fastest female Spaniard in the event in history only behind Mireia Belmonte.[11] On 23 August, Vázquez ranked seventh in the prelims heats of the 200 metre individual medley, swimming a time of 2:15.82 and qualifying for the final.[12] Later in the day, Vázquez swam a personal best time of 2:13.43 in the final, winning the silver medal in the event.[13] The two medals Vázquez won, one gold medal and one silver medal, were the only medals won by swimmers representing Spain at the year's World Junior Championships.[14]

Vázquez's accomplishments at the European Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships, caught the attention of Diario AS who gave her their "Prospect Award" for being the most promising newcomer athlete in Spain for the 2019 year.[15][16][17]

2020 European Aquatics Championships

At the 2020 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in May, Vázquez placed eleventh in her first event, the 400 metre individual medley, with a time of 4:45.26.[18] In her second and final event, the 200 metre individual medley, she swam a 2:15.36 in the preliminary heats, placing 23rd overall.[19]

2022

In April 2022, Vázquez was named to a preliminary roster for Spain for the 2022 European Aquatics Championships in the 200 metre individual medley and 400 metre individual medley events.[20] She was also named to the 2022 Mediterranean Games roster for the same events.[21]

Personal best times

Long course metres (50 m pool)
Event Time Meet Location Date Notes
200 m breaststroke 2:27.65 2019 Spanish Spring Open Championships Sabadell 7 April 2019
200 m individual medley 2:13.43 2019 World Junior Championships Budapest, Hungary 23 August 2019
400 m individual medley 4:38.53 2019 World Junior Championships Budapest, Hungary 20 August 2019 WJ

Legend: WJ – World Junior record

World records

Long course metres (50 m pool)
No. Event Time Meet Location Date Age Status Ref
1 400 m individual medley 4:38.53 2019 World Junior Championships Budapest, Hungary 20 August 2019 17 Current [7][8][9]

Awards and honours

References
  1. "Alba Vazquez: Results". FINA. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  2. FINA (13 September 2018). "FINA Swimming World Cup 2018 Doha: Women's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  3. FINA (14 September 2018). "FINA Swimming World Cup 2018 Doha: Women's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  4. "European Junior Swimming Championships, Kazan (RUS) – Day 1, Summary". LEN. 3 July 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  5. Sutherland, James (3 July 2019). "Alba Vazquez Lowers European Junior meet Record In 400 IM". SwimSwam. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  6. FINA (20 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019: Women's 400m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  7. FINA (20 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019: Women's 400m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  8. Race, Retta (20 August 2019). "Spain's Alba Vazquez Clocks New World Junior Record In Women's 400 IM". SwimSwam. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  9. "Alba Vázquez, campeona y récord mundial júnior de 400 estilos" (in Spanish). El Periódico. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  10. Csurka, Gergely (20 August 2019). "Day 1: Zombori kicked in the party, Ruiz and US free relay set new junior WRs". FINA. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  11. Ross, Andy (20 August 2019). "Alba Vazquez Ruiz Breaks World Junior Record in 400 IM in Thrilling Final". Swimming World. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  12. FINA (23 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019: Women's 200m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  13. FINA (23 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019: Women's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  14. FINA (25 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  15. Mínguez, Jesús (3 December 2019). "AS awards ceremony 2019". Diario AS. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  16. Nogueira, Andrea (3 December 2019). "Ona Carbonell, Javier Sotomayor y LaLiga, entre los premios AS" (in Spanish). El País. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  17. "The 13th annual AS Awards pay tribute to excellence in sports". PRISA. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2021.
  18. LEN (17 May 2021). "2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships Budapest: Results 400m Individual Medley Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  19. LEN (21 May 2021). "2020 LEN European Aquatics Championships Budapest: Results 200m Individual Medley Women Preliminary". Microplus Informatica. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  20. Keith, Braden (22 April 2022). "Spain Names 9 Swimmers For 2022 World Championships". SwimSwam. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  21. Keith, Braden (26 April 2022). "Spain Announces Roster For 4 Meets, Including World, Euro Juniors". SwimSwam. Retrieved 26 April 2022.
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