Gherghel Grabs Silver at FINA World Championships
10/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Swimming & Diving
The Alabama swimming contingent saved its best performance for last at the 2004 FINA World Championships, held over the last five days in Indianapolis.
Former Alabama standout Stefan Gherghel grabbed the silver medal in the 200m butterfly on the meet's final day, finishing just behind five-time World Champion James Hickman of Great Britain and nearly half a second ahead of bronze medalist Peng Wu of China.
The two-time NCAA 200 butterfly champion, representing his native Romania, was seventh coming out of the preliminary round and was relegated to lane one of the pool. In the thick of the sliver medal race throughout, Gherghel used a strong last 50-meters to clinch his spot.
Gherghel, who finished fifth in the 200m butterfly at the Athens Olympics, joins sophomore Vlad Polyakov in the Tide's World Championship medal count. Polyakov won bronze medals in the 100 and 200m breaststrokes.
And while Gherghel finished is eligibility after the 2003 season, Polyakov and the rest of the Tide, including Olympic bronze medalist Anne Poleska, will get the collegiate season started Friday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. with the Crimson and White Intrasquad.
