Three Women’s Swimmers bringing FIU to the forefront at World Championships

Joseph Busatto/ Contributing Writer

Swimming is a sport that tests explosiveness, finesse, and endurance. Three students on the FIU Women’s Swimming and Diving team have been the epitome of those three words. Johanna Gustafsdottir, Karin Tomeckova, and Naomi Ruele have qualified to participate in the FINA (Federation Internationale de Natation) Aquatic World Championships that are taking place in Kazan, Russia in August. All three of these women have been seriously dominant in each of their respective strokes and do undoubtedly deserve the chance to represent FIU in the World Championships.

The FINA World Championships is an international event of aquatic sports that include swimming, diving, open water swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. This event gives athletes a chance to compete at an internationally high level and of course prepare for the Olympics.

Johanna Gustafsdottir has been one of the leaders of the team ever since she arrived at FIU. Born in Denmark and of Icelandic decent, she has been a staple of the world of swimming since she was a young swimmer. Swimming seems to be part of her family as well since her team swam in the 2012 London Olympics. Gustafsdottir joined the Icelandic Junior National Team in 2003 and swam for it for seven years, while making 25 Icelandic national swimming records in that time. As a freshman, she was an extremely effective swimmer, being named the Sun Belt Conference Swimmer of the Year Award. She set Sun Belt Conference and FIU records for the Individual Medley 200 meter and 200 meter backstroke. She also set FIU records in the 100 meter backstroke and 200 meter freestyle. She ended up being ranked nationally in many categories. Every year since her freshman year she has continued to rise and now, she is on the world’s stage participating in the World Championships.

Karin Tomeckova, of Slovakian descent, also has performed at a high level for FIU. Before arriving at FIU, she swam for Oakland University. Specializing in backstroke and individual medley, she won a Horizon League Championship event in the 100 meter backstroke and took second place in both the 200 meter individual medley and the 200 meter backstroke. In 2013, she was named the Newcomer of the Championships because she broke the league and school record of the 200 meter backstroke. Tomeckova swam at the Grand Prix of Slovakia and set a new Slovak national record and qualified for the Olympics in Brazil next summer.

Naomi Ruele is the youngest of the trio but that doesn’t take away from her swimming prowess. Swimming out of Botswana, Africa, Ruele’s preference is backstroke and freestyle. Before joining FIU’s team, she participated and ranked in the South Africa Championships and won five gold medals at the Botswana Nationals in 2013. She also qualified for the Youth Olympic Games and became the first swimmer from her country to qualify. Her fast times in the 50 meter backstroke and the 100 meter freestyle allowed her to qualify for the World Championships.

Gustafsdottir, Tomeckova, and Ruele are not strangers to the national spotlight and they will not disappoint in their competitiveness both representing FIU and themselves.