World Championships Update: Two Lady Vols Set National Records, Record Qualifying Times for 2024 Paris Olympics

FUKUOKA, Japan – After one week of competition, Tennessee swimming & diving is underway and off to a good start at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, as 16 Vols and Lady Vols compete on the global stage.

With diving and open water swimming complete and the swimming competition just getting started, the Big Orange wasted no time making noise at the event. Two Lady Vols punched their tickets to Paris by notching qualifying times, and two national records have already fallen.

Below are updates from the Tennessee representatives so far along with their competition schedules for the rest of the meet.

Gui Caribe - Brazil
Caribe started out at the World Championships by representing Brazil in the 400 free relay on Sunday night, where they finished sixth overall with a time of 3:12.71. In the finals, Caribe was the only swimmer in the event to have a sub 22-seconds 50-meter split, swimming an impressive 21.98. Caribe's 100-meter split ended up being the second fastest out of every athlete that competed in the 400 free relay, accomplishing a time of 46.76.

Later in the week, Caribe will compete in two more events in Japan. On Tuesday, he will swim in the preliminary rounds of the 100 free and on Thursday he will close things out with the 50 free prelims.

Results
6th – 400 Free Relay – 3:12.71 (2nd Leg - 46.76)

Jordan Crooks - Cayman Islands
Crooks will participate in two events at the World Championships later this week. He will open up his competition on Tuesday in the 100 free before swimming in Thursday's prelims of the 50 free, an event in which he holds the national record in and is the reigning NCAA and Short Course World Champion.

Lyubomir Epitropov - Bulgaria
Epitropov has already competed in one event so far. On Sunday, he placed 27th in the world in the 100 breast with a time of 1:01.16.

He will round off the competition at the World Championships this Wednesday night in the 200 breast.

Results
27th – 100 Breast – 1:01.16

Martin Espernberger - Austria
Espernberger will begin his competition at the World Championships on Tuesday night in the 100 freestyle.

Bryden Hattie - Canada
Hattie competed in the 1-meter and 3-meter springboard events at the World Championships on July 14th and 18th, respectively. In these two events, Hattie posted a 311.30 score in the 1-meter to place 28th out of 63 athletes. In the 3-meter, Hattie finished 43rd out of 67 competitors with a score of 326.30.

Results
28th – 1-Meter – 311.30
43rd – 3-Meter – 326.30

Michael Houlie - South Africa
Houlie opened up his competition at the World Championships on Saturday night in the 100 breast. He placed 30th out of 68 athletes in prelims, finishing with a time of 1:01.58.

Tonight, he will kick off competition in the 50 breast as one of 62 athletes swimming in the event.

Results
30th – 100 Breast – 1:01.58

Mona McSharry - Ireland
McSharry kicked off her stint at the World Championships in the 100 breast on Sunday night. During prelims, she broke her own Irish national record with a time of 1:05.55 while also posting the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She followed that up with a fourth-place finish in semifinals to advance to the finals on Tuesday morning. She also competed in the 400 free relay, swimming the first leg with a split of 55.98, as the team finished with a time of 3:41.75 to come in 15th.

Later in the week, McSharry will compete in two more events. On Wednesday, she will begin the 200 breast before competing in the 50 breast on Friday. She currently holds the Irish national record in both the 200 breast and 50 breast.

Results
15th – 400 Free Relay – 3:41.75 (Leadoff Split - 55.98)

Kayky Mota - Brazil
Mota started off the competition by finishing 39th out of 89 swimmers in the 50 fly on Saturday with a time of 23.85.

Later this week, he will compete in the 100 fly on Thursday to round off the competition at the World Championships.

Results
39th – 50 Fly – 23.85

PJ Stevens - Slovenia
Stevens began competition at the World Championships on Saturday in the 100 breast. He finished with a time of 1:01.59, placing 31st. He finished just .01 seconds behind fellow VFL Michael Houlie, who is competing for South Africa.

He will continue his time in Japan tonight in the 50 breast. He is one of 62 athletes competing in the event.

Results
31st – 100 Breast – 1:01.59

Liam Stone - New Zealand
Stone competed in two events at the World Championships for diving, taking on the 3-meter and 3-meter synchronized. The VFL placed 20th in the world in both events. In the 3-meter, Stone achieved a total score of 381.25, and in the 3-meter synchronized, he tallied a score of 325.32.

Results
20th – 3-Meter – 381.25
20th – 3-Meter Synchronized – 325.32

Joey Tepper - USA
Tepper competed in two open water events at the World Championships. On July 14, he placed 36th in the 10km with a time of 1:57:23.90. He followed that up with the mixed 6,000m relay last Wednesday. He swam the first leg of the relay in 17:29.80, and the team finished the relay with a time of 1:13:58.60, good for a ninth-place finish. His first leg time marked a new personal best.

Results
9th – 6,000m Relay – 1:13:58.60 (First leg - 17:29.80)
36th – 10km – 1:57:23.90

Cherelle Thompson - Trinidad & Tobago
Thompson will start her time in Japan on Thursday in the 50 fly before competing in Friday's 50 free prelims. The 2020 Tokyo Olympian holds the Trinidad and Tobago national record in the 50 free.

Kira Toussaint - Netherlands
Toussaint opened up her time at the World Championships in the 100 back on Sunday. During prelims, she swam a time of 1:00.46, good for 15th place and the last spot in the semifinals. She then topped that time in semifinals, finishing in 59.89, but came just short of qualifying for finals with an 11th-place finish.

On Tuesday night, she will begin competition in the 50 back as one of 64 athletes competing in that event.

Results
11th – 100 Back – 59.89

Joaquin Vargas - Peru
Vargas competed in two events at the World Championships, swimming in the 200 free and 400 free. On Saturday, the Vol finished 28th out of 55 swimmers in the 400 free, touching the wall in 3:53.54. Vargas swam in the 200 free on Sunday, placing 36th out of 72 competitors with a time of 1:49.85.

Results
28th – 400 Free – 3:53.54
36th – 200 Free – 1:49.85

Ellen Walshe - Ireland
Walshe has already wrapped up two events at the World Championships. She began in the 200 IM on Saturday, where she broke her own Irish national record with a time of 2:10.92 in the semifinals, finishing in ninth overall and posting the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. During the 100 fly, an event in which she also holds the Irish national record, she placed 24th in the prelims with a time of 59.44.

Walshe will continue her time in Japan on Saturday night, where she will swim the 400 IM. If she were to advance, she would compete on Sunday night in the finals, the final day of the championships.

Results
9th – 200 IM – 2:10.92
24th – 100 Fly – 59.44

Kristen Romano - Puerto Rico - UT Pro Group
Romano began her journey at the World Championships on Saturday in the 200 IM. She touched the wall in 2:13.94, finishing in 20th, just four spots shy of qualifying for semifinals. She will continue her competition in Japan this coming Saturday in the 400 IM, where she will be among 35 athletes swimming in the event.

Results
20th – 200 IM – 2:13.94

University of Tennessee Athletics

World Championships Update: Two Lady Vols Set National Records, Record Qualifying Times for 2024 Paris Olympics

Players Mentioned

Gui Caribe

Jordan Crooks

Lyubomir Epitropov

Martin Espernberger

Bryden Hattie

Michael Houlie

Mona McSharry

Joey Tepper

Joaquin Vargas

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