Alabama’s Kensey McMahon Posts Top-10 Finish in World Championships Open Water Race

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Alabama swimmer Kensey McMahon took 10^th place in the 25-kilometer open water race at the 2022 FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, on Thursday.

McMahon covered the 25k course in a time of 5 hours, 30 minutes and 19.10 seconds, nearly 20 minutes ahead of the next finisher. The race was held on Lupa Lake.

McMahon was one of four current UA swimmers to race in Budapest. She was joined by Rhyan White (USA) who won gold and bronze for the United States, Kalia Antoniou (Cyprus), who broke school records in the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyles on the way to making it to the semifinals in both, and Diana Petkova (Bulgaria).

There were also a pair of UA alums at Worlds, Anton McKee (Iceland) and Kristian Gkolomeev (Greece), who both made the finals of their respective specialties.

Bama in Budapest

In her first 25-kilometer race, Kensey McMahon took 10^th place after swimming a time of 5:30:19.10
Rhyan White took the bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 2:06.96
White swam a 2:06.96 to reach the podium, giving the United States both the silver and bronze, marking the first time in history that Team USA has earned two medals in the event
White swam a 2:09.12 in the prelims of the 200-meter backstroke before winning the first of two semifinal heats with a 2:07.04
White also earned a gold medal in the 400-meter medley relay after swimming the leadoff leg in the preliminary round for Team USA
White has now earned four medals at the World Championships, including a gold and silver at the 2021 World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi
Kalia Antoniou reached the semifinals of the 50-meter and 100-meter freestyle at the World Championships, setting school records in both
Antoniou posted a school-record 24.94 in the semifinals of the 50-meter freestyle to take 10^th overall, after first breaking the record with a 25.14 in prelims
Antoniou swam a school-record 54.25 in the prelims of the 100-meter freestyle to make the semifinals before going 54.24 to better the record and finish 13^th overall in the event
Diana Petkova went 25.97 in the 50-meter freestyle to finish 24^th, 2:19.40 in the 200-meter individual medley to take 30^th, 32.32 in the 50-meter breaststroke to finish 33^rd and 1:10.81 in the 100-meter breaststroke to place 34^th

The Crimson Tide Alums in Hungary

Anton McKee was sixth of the 200-meter breaststroke after posting a time of 2:09.37 in finals
McKee swam a 2:09.69 in the prelims of the 200-meter breaststroke, taking fifth and moving on to the semis, where he took second with a 2:08.74
McKee just missed the semifinals of the 100-meter breaststroke after tallying a 1:00.80 in the heats
Kristian Gkolomeev finished eighth in the final of the 50-meter freestyle with a time of 21.89
Gkolomeev was seventh in the heats of the 50-meter freestyle after posting a 21.90, before taking fifth in the semis with a time of 21.80

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