World University Games: Team USA Website / Gwangju 2015 Website
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Purdue swimmers and 2015 NCAA Championships qualifiers Marat Amaltdinov and Nika Karlina Petric are set to compete for their native countries at the upcoming World University Games in South Korea.
Amaltdinov, a rising sophomore, will represent Russia in the 200 breaststroke. Petric is a rising senior and will represent Slovenia in the 200, 400 and 800 freestyle along with the 400 individual medley. Purdue men's head coach Dan Ross will also be on hand to serve as a coach for Amaltdinov.
The Boilermakers will also be represented at the FINA World Championships in Russia (July 24-Aug. 9) by divers David Boudia and Steele Johnson. They'll compete together in synchronized 10-meter after winning the title at the USA Diving Synchronized National Championships in April. Boudia will also compete individually on 10-meter at the World Championships.
Gwangju, South Korea is hosting the summer edition of the biennial World University Games this year. Also known as the Universiade, the event begins July 2 and runs through July 14. Swimming events are set for July 4-12 at the International Aquatics Center on the campus of Nambu University.
Amaltdinov competes in the 200 breast the morning of July 6 (local time), with the semifinals later that night and the final the evening of July 7. Meanwhile, the women's 400 IM is the first swimming event of the World University Games and set for the morning of July 4 (local time). Petric's first freestyle event is the 400, set for the morning of July 7.
ESPN3/WatchESPN will be offering live video coverage of swimming events at 6 a.m. ET from July 3-9. There is a 13-hour time difference between South Korea and the United States' Eastern Time Zone.
Diver MacKenzie Tweardy was the last Boilermaker to compete at the World University Games, participating in synchronized 10-meter for Team USA at the 2013 Universiade in Russia. Diver Danny Cox (2011 in China) was the Purdue men's last World University Game participant. Giordan Pogiloi, a former Purdue record holder in the breaststroke, was the last Boilermaker swimmer to compete at the World University Games. He competed for Team USA in the 2005 Universiade in Turkey.
As a junior, Petric broke the Purdue record in the 400 IM and helped the record-setting 800 freestyle relay team earn Honorable Mention All-America accolades. It was the Purdue women's first All-American relay team since 2011. She is a three-time NCAA Championships qualifier as part of the Boilermakers' relay teams.
Amaltdinov became Purdue's first men's freshman swimmer to qualify for the NCAA Championships as an individual since 2006. He established a new program freshman record in the 200 breaststroke and already ranks second in program history. He took third in the championship final of the 200 breast at the Big Ten Championships, an event that was won by teammate Lyam Dias.
At the World Championships, Boudia and Johnson are scheduled to compete on Sunday, July 26. Boudia's individual 10-meter competition begins on Aug. 1, with the final set for the following day as the last diving event of the World Championships. Boudia has won silver on 10-meter at each of the last two World Championships (2011 and 2013). Johnson will be making his debut at the World Championships, but he and Boudia teamed up to win bronze together at the FINA Diving World Cup last summer in China.
Diver Mary Beth Dunnichay was scheduled to represent the USA at the Pan American Games, set for July 10-26 in Toronto, but had to withdraw from 10-meter and synchronized 10-meter due to injury.
Numerous Purdue swimmers had strong showings this past weekend (June 26-28) at both the TYR Fran Crippen Swim Meet of Champions in Mission Viejo, California, as well as closer to home at the Boiler Bash hosted by the Boilermaker Aquatics club team at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center. In California, alum Danny Tucker won the 50 freestyle and Allie Davis finished as the runner-up in the A finals of the 200 and 400 freestyle. Among those that stayed closer to home, Ross highlighted Adam Noens, Jake Thomas, Danny Conway and Nate Hopkins as the men's standouts.
Upcoming long course meets for active Boilermakers includes: Indiana Senior State Championships (July 16-19 in Bloomington), USA's Swimming Futures Championships (July 30-Aug. 2 at the Boilermaker Aquatic Center) and USA Swimming's 2015 Phillips 66 National Championships (Aug. 6-10 in San Antonio).
The Futures Championships is a new venture for USA Swimming and the Boilermaker Aquatic Center is just one of three pools (along with the Greensboro Aquatic Center and Mount Hood Aquatic Center) hosting regional meets that weekend.
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