Texas A&M’s Pickrem grabs bronze medal at World Championships
Jul 30, 2017 | Women's Swimming and Diving
BUDAPEST, Hungary. --- Texas A&M junior-to-be Sydney Pickrem earned a bronze medal with a third-place effort in the women's 400-meter IM on Sunday at the 2017 FINA World Championships.
Pickrem, from Dunedin, Fla., and competes internationally for Canada, placed third with a lifetime best time of 4:32.88 to earn her spot on the award stand. Pickrem, the school record holder in the race at Texas A&M, used a strong breaststroke leg to move from sixth place to second and then finished with a solid freestyle leg to take third behind world record holder Katinka Hosszu of Hungary (4:29.33) and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Mireia Belmonte of Spain (4:32.17).
The bronze medal was sweet redemption for Pickrem, who was forced to abandon her quest for a medal in the 200 IM when she swallowed water during the butterfly leg earlier in the FINA World Championships.
"I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but it means the world," Pickrem told CBC Sports. "As much as I felt like I disappointed Canada in my 200 IM, to come back and be able to get on the podium, it's just a relief and really exciting. I'm proud to be Canadian and do that for Canada."
Pickrem becomes the second current Texas A&M swimmer to earn an individual medal at an Olympic or World Championship event, joining teammate Bethany Galat who earned a silver medal in the 200 breaststroke earlier in the week. The accomplishment capped an enormous sophomore season for Pickrem, who was named Texas A&M's Female Athlete of the Year earlier this year. Pickrem won three Southeastern Conference titles (two individual and one relay) and placed in the top four in three races at the NCAA Championships. She also become the first Aggie to break the 4-minute barrier in the collegiate 400-yard IM with a 3:59.36 effort, while earning NCAA runner-up honors.
2017 graduate Sarah Gibson, from San Antonio, Texas, earned a gold medal with Team USA's 4x100 medley relay. Gibson swam the butterfly leg in the morning prelims along with Olivia Smoliga, Katie Meile and Mallory Comerford and earned the medal when Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Kelsi Worrell and Simone Manuel won the gold with a world record time of 3:51.55. Gibson, Smoliga, Meila and Comerford were the top qualiers in the prelims with a time of 3:55.95.
Pickrem, from Dunedin, Fla., and competes internationally for Canada, placed third with a lifetime best time of 4:32.88 to earn her spot on the award stand. Pickrem, the school record holder in the race at Texas A&M, used a strong breaststroke leg to move from sixth place to second and then finished with a solid freestyle leg to take third behind world record holder Katinka Hosszu of Hungary (4:29.33) and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist Mireia Belmonte of Spain (4:32.17).
The bronze medal was sweet redemption for Pickrem, who was forced to abandon her quest for a medal in the 200 IM when she swallowed water during the butterfly leg earlier in the FINA World Championships.
"I didn't think I'd be this emotional, but it means the world," Pickrem told CBC Sports. "As much as I felt like I disappointed Canada in my 200 IM, to come back and be able to get on the podium, it's just a relief and really exciting. I'm proud to be Canadian and do that for Canada."
Pickrem becomes the second current Texas A&M swimmer to earn an individual medal at an Olympic or World Championship event, joining teammate Bethany Galat who earned a silver medal in the 200 breaststroke earlier in the week. The accomplishment capped an enormous sophomore season for Pickrem, who was named Texas A&M's Female Athlete of the Year earlier this year. Pickrem won three Southeastern Conference titles (two individual and one relay) and placed in the top four in three races at the NCAA Championships. She also become the first Aggie to break the 4-minute barrier in the collegiate 400-yard IM with a 3:59.36 effort, while earning NCAA runner-up honors.
2017 graduate Sarah Gibson, from San Antonio, Texas, earned a gold medal with Team USA's 4x100 medley relay. Gibson swam the butterfly leg in the morning prelims along with Olivia Smoliga, Katie Meile and Mallory Comerford and earned the medal when Kathleen Baker, Lilly King, Kelsi Worrell and Simone Manuel won the gold with a world record time of 3:51.55. Gibson, Smoliga, Meila and Comerford were the top qualiers in the prelims with a time of 3:55.95.
Players Mentioned
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