July 6, 2011
SHANGHAI, China -- Three Old Dominion University swimmers will be competing at the 2011 World Swimming Championships being held in Shanghai, China beginning on July 16th.
Rising senior Erla Haraldsdottir will be competing in the 200 IM and 50 breaststroke for Iceland, rising sophomore Sidni Hoxha will be swimming the 50 freestyle for his native Albania, and incoming freshman Yesim Giresunlu will hit the pool in the 1500 freestyle for Turkey.
Haraldsdottir, who hails from Njardvik, Iceland and was a member of the 2008 Icelandic Olympic Team, won the 50 breaststroke, 200 IM, and 200 butterfly at the Icelandic National Championships in April and currently holds the 44th fastest time in the world in the 50 breaststroke. At the Icelandic Championships, Haraldsdottir broke two of her own Icelandic records winning the 50 breaststroke with a time of 31.96 and capturing the 200 IM in a time of 2:18.45.
An Honorable Mention All-American by CollegeSwimming.Com, Haraldsdottir made an appearance at the 2011 NCAA Championships and earned four All-CAA honors for her performance with the 400 medley relay squad in addition her three NCAA "B" cut times in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley this past season.Haraldsdottir's second place performance in the 100 breaststroke at the conference championships gave her the 23rd fastest time among NCAA Division I swimmers in the nation in the event. Her time of 1:00.46 was not only an NCAA "B" cut to help her qualify for the NCAA Championships, but also a new Lady Monarch benchmark in the 100 breaststroke. At the NCAA Championships, she placed 29th in the field of 49 in a time of 1:01.40.
Hoxha was the CAA Co-Rookie of the Year and earned All-CAA as the league champion in the 50 meter freestyle with a time of 20.01 and in the 100 freestyle with a time of 44.56. He also placed eighth in the 200 freestyle with a time of 1:40.96. Hailing from Tirane, Albania, he represented his country at the 2008 Olympic Games in the 50 free.
Giresunlu joins the Lady Monarch swimming squad this fall having competed at the 2008 Beijing Olymics for her native Turkey. She currently holds three of her country's records in the 400 freestyle (4:21.89), 800 freestyle (8:55.35), and 1500 freestyle (17:12.34).
For more information on the 2011 World Swimming Championships, click here.