With the seventh best time, Jessica Vall has qualified for the final of the 200 breaststroke, the dream she pursued when she started to seriously prepare for swimming. The 26-year-old Catalan has executed an intelligent race, progressively as she usually does, and she fell just two hundredths short of the Spanish record (2:22.90), an unequivocal sign that she has arrived at an optimal moment and that tomorrow, in the final, she could break that record and get closer to the podium.
The final seems to be well-matched because of the tactics in this event. Although the Danish Peddersen, the American Lawrence, and the Japanese Watanabe are the favorites for the medals, the rest of the swimmers, including Vall, could have the chance to compete depending on how the competition unfolds. The swimmer from CN Sant Andreu has a strong finish. In fact, in the semifinals, she was the second fastest among the 16 swimmers in the last 50 meters.
This season, Vall modified her training in order to arrive at this World Championship in her best condition. Last season was not like that, and she achieved better results at the Open de España de Primavera than at the European Championship in Berlin, where she won the bronze in this same event. Jordi Jou's disciple hopes to shine in what will be her first world final.
Marina García finished last in her heat and in the semifinal, with a time of 2:25.52. In the same heat as Vall, the other Spanish participant is still focused on her studies in the United States and will continue there next season.