World Championships Update: Another UT Swimmer Punches Ticket to 2024 Paris Olympics

FUKUOKA, Japan – Halfway into the final week of competition, Tennessee swimming & diving has continued to build off a good start at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, as 16 Vols and Lady Vols compete on the global stage.

With the swimming competition well underway, and open water and diving completed, several Vols and Lady Vols have advanced to finals in their respective events. Two Lady Vols and one Vol have already punched their tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics, while four national records have been broken.

Below are updates from the Tennessee representatives so far along with their competition schedules for the final days 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. On Wednesday, Caribe swam a 48.18 in the 100 free semifinals, finishing 12th in the world in the event.

Results
6th – 400 Free Relay – 3:12.71 (2nd Leg - 46.76)
12th – 100 Free – 48.18

Jordan Crooks - Cayman Islands
Crooks opened up his time in Japan in the 100 free. In the prelims, he posted the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics by touching the wall in 47.77, beating his former previous-best long course time by over a second. This time set a new Cayman Islands record and set Crooks up well for the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Crooks went on to record another personal-best effort with an impressive 47.71, improving his Cayman Islands record for the second time in less than 12 hours, and qualifying for the finals. Crooks went on to finish seventh in a loaded field of athletes with a time of 47.94.

The NCAA and Short Course World Champion in the 50 free had no problem starting out hot, breaking his former national record with a 21.90 effort in prelims. Crooks once again went on to improve his time in the semifinals, posting a new national record of 21.73 and qualifying for the finals and the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Results
7th – 100 Free – 47.94

Brooklyn Douthwright - Canada
Douthwright represented Canada in Thursday's 800 free relay final. Douthwright and her team went on to finish fifth overall in the event by posting a time of 7:49.98. The Lady Vol was the anchor for the Canadian squad, having a split of 1:58.27.

Results
5th – 800 Free Relay – 7:49.98 (Anchor Split - 1:58.27)

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 finished his time in Japan on Thursday morning in the semifinals in the 200 breast, when he went on to finish 15th overall, touching the wall in 2:11.28.

Results
15th – 200 Breast – 2:11.28
27th – 100 Breast – 1:01.16

Martin Espernberger - Austria
On Tuesday, Espernberger competed in the 200 fly prelims. He placed 20th out of 38 athletes competing, notching a time of 1:57.36.

Results
20th – 200 Fly – 1:57.36

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. On Monday night, he began competition in the 50 breast, touching the wall in 27.31 to advance to the semifinals, where he placed 16th.

Results
16th – 50 Breast – 27.57
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, where she tallied a fifth place finish. 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.

On Wednesday, McSharry began competition in the 200 breast. During the prelims, she earned a spot in the semifinals after touching the wall in 2:26.59. In the semis, she notched a 15th-place finish with a time of 2:26.27. Tonight, she will begin competition in the 50 breast, an event she currently holds the Irish national record in.

Results
5th – 100 Breast - 1:06.07
15th - 200 Breast - 2:26.27
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.

On Tuesday, Mota and the Brazilian squad finished 16th out of 42 relays in the mixed 400 medley relay, recording a time of 3:48.00. Mota held down the third leg of the relay, posting a split of 51.51.

The VFL rounded off his time in Japan in the 100 fly, coming in tied for 10th out of 74 athletes, posting a time of 51.43

Results
T-10th - 100 Fly - 51.43
16th – Mixed 400 Medley Relay – 3:48.00 (Fly Leg - 51.51)
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 continued his time in Japan on Monday night, where he placed 11th in prelims to qualify for semifinals of the 50 breast. Tuesday morning, he touched the wall in 27.04 to check in at seventh and advance to the finals on Wednesday morning. During the finals, he tallied an eighth-place finish in his first career long-course world championship final.

Results
8th - 50 Breast - 27.08
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 started her time in Japan on Thursday in the 50 fly, finishing 43rd out of 64 swimmers with a 28.84 effort.

The LVFL will round off competition in Friday's 50 free prelims. The 2020 Tokyo Olympian holds the Trinidad and Tobago national record in the 50 free.

Results
43rd – 50 Fly – 28.84

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 began competition in the 50 back. She tallied a 21st place finish out of 61 athletes competing, touching the wall in 28.41.

Results
21st – 50 Back – 28.41
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.

On Tuesday, Vargas represented Peru in the mixed 400 medley relay. The squad finished 25th in the world out of 42 relays, and Vargas helped Peru to a 4:05.00 finish with a 51.25 split of his own.

Results
25th – Mixed 400 Medley Relay – 4:05.00 (Free Leg - 51.25)
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: Another UT Swimmer Punches Ticket to 2024 Paris Olympics

Players Mentioned

Gui Caribe

Jordan Crooks

Brooklyn Douthwright

Lyubomir Epitropov

Martin Espernberger

Bryden Hattie

Michael Houlie

Mona McSharry

Joey Tepper

Joaquin Vargas

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