The Portuguese Sofia Lavreshina qualified this Friday, March 20, for the semifinals of the 400 meters at the World Short Track Athletics Championship, which is being held in the Polish city of Torun, by improving her national record, to 51.87 seconds.
With the worst mark among the four sprinters in the second series, with 52.07 of her national record, achieved on February 6, in Madrid, the 22-year-old Portuguese woman surprised and won the heat, leaving the Dutch Myrte van der Schoot in second place, 10 hundredths of a second behind (51.97).
Sofia Lavreshina started the second lap in the fourth and last position of the series, managing, under the finish line of the Polish short track, to win and secure one of the two places in the semi-finals, scheduled for today, starting at 7:42 pm local time (6:42 pm in Lisbon).
“I knew it would be difficult to get to the semi-finals and that I had to beat the national record, because everyone had a better time than me. I’m quite happy. I knew I was in my best shape, much better than a month ago and the sensations were very good”, explained the Sporting sprinter, speaking to the Lusa agency.
In the mixed zone of the Torun Arena, the athlete from Pombal recalled the confrontation with New Zealander Annalies Kalma, around 200 meters, to maintain a favorable position.
“I already knew it was going to be chaotic and I had to maintain position, because I didn’t want her to pass me”, explained Lavreshina, who, this year, has already improved the national short track distance record three times, which belonged to Cátia Azevedo (52.43).
In the fight for the six places in the final, scheduled for Saturday, at 8:40 pm (7:40 pm), the Portuguese sprinter promises to repeat her goal.
“I want to do my best and, if possible, set a national record again”, she concluded, after being the first athlete in the 400 to break a national record in the 21st edition of the World Cup. indoor.
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