Kristina Steins sets 2 National Records and Qualifies for 2020 Olympics at 2019 Fina World Championships

Posted 2019-07-31


Kristina Steins with her 4 x 100 mixed freestyle relay team at the Fina World Championships 2019	Kristina Steins with her coach Cecil Russell of Dolphins Swim Club at the Fina World Championships 2019

For many of us, July has been a great time to relax and enjoy the warm weather. For 23 year old Kristina Steins, July looked very different. Kristina Steins swims for the Dolphins Swim Club of Burlington and her talents in backstroke have brought her all over the world. Last week, Kristina competed in the 2019 FINA World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

Coached by Dolphins head coach Cecil Russell, Kristina Steins achieved impressive results at the World Championships including 2 new national records for Latvia. On July 22nd, Kristina competed in the 100 meter backstroke heats and matched her personal best time of 1:01.49. This time qualified her for Olympic B standards and was just off of Olympic A standards.

On July 27th, Kristina swam in the 200 meters backstroke heats and achieved a time of 2:14.00, an Olympic qualifying time and a new national record for Latvia. On the same day, Kristina went on to swim in a 4 x 100 meter mixed freestyle relay which set another national record. In the relay, Kristina swam her 100 meters of freestyle in 56.5 seconds.

There were over 187 countries present at the World Aquatic Championships, and Kristina's highest ranking was 25th overall. Kristina achieved impressive results at the world level, and is thrilled to have earned a place in the 2020 Olympic games. The Dolphins swim club is proud to have Kristina on the team and excited to bring a Burlington resident to the 2020 Olympics.

Kristina at the 2019 World Championships: