Sports

Beisel qualifies for world swim championships

09:27 PM EDT on Thursday, July 9, 2009

Journal Staff and Wire Reports

INDIANAPOLIS — North Kingstown's Elizabeth Beisel qualified for her first world swimming championships with a victory in the 400 individual medley Thursday night at the U.S. national championships.

The world championships will be held in Rome from July 26-Aug. 2.

Beisel, 16, who earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic swim team last year, held on to defeat a hard-charging Julia Smit of Stanford in the final. Beisel finished in 4:36.31, the fifth-fastest time in the world this year behind Hannah Miley (4:31.33), Kirsty Coventry (4:32.15), Katinka Hosszu (4:33.88) and Dagny Knutson (4:36.02).

"I'm just glad to be going to Rome this summer," Beisel said. "Before the race I started doubting myself, but once I got into the water I sort of calmed down."

Smit had already qualified for the U.S. team in the 200 IM.

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