Aleksa Gold, who trains in Canada at the University of Toronto, raced in Latvia over the weekend, where she broke an Estonian Record in the 200 IM. Archive photo via Aleksa Gold
While Latvia hosted the event, the Estonians dominated the action in Riga. The event, which replaces Estonia’s national championship event, is a FINA-approved Olympic qualifier.
Gold was the star of the meet on the women’s side, winning 4 individual events. That included the 200 IM, where her swim of 2:18.65 undercut the former National Record of Anna-Liisa Pold, who swam 2:19.46 at the 2009 World Championships in the height of the supersuit era.
For Gold, who grew up in Toronto, Canada and swims collegiately at the University of Toronto, that record is not even a primary event nor her best swim of the day. She also won the 50 free (26.07), 100 free (56.03), and 200 backstroke (2:13.93). The 100 free time was also a personal best, though it just missed the FINA “B” standard for the Olympics by .02 seconds.
Her 200 back time was an Olympic “B” standard.
Gold also holds the long course Estonian Record in the 200 back, plus 3 individual short course and 2 long course relay records.