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Grand Canyon University Athletics
Photo by: Deb Schaffer
Past, present Lopes set for World Championships
7/22/2023 10:50:00 AM | Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Swimming and Diving
GCU swimmers, coach represent 3 countries in Japan
Two current Grand Canyon swimmers, three former Lopes swimmers and the GCU coach will represent the program well this month at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
GCU's Maria Brunlehner and Emily Muteti will represent Kenya while Lopes sophomore Mohamed Mohamady will compete for Egypt, as well as alumnus Youssef El Kamash. Meanwhile, GCU head coach Steve Schaffer will be coaching Kenya.
Muteti and Brunlehner are Kenyan swimmers, but because World Aquatics suspended the Kenyan Swimming Federation, the team designation for them will be SMF (Suspended Member Federation).
The most successful GCU alumnus at the competition will be Eetu Karvonen, now the coach for Finland. Eetu coaches Finnish swimmer Matti Mattsson, who won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics. Mattsson will be competing in a very deep field and has a good chance to make the final heats. Eetu was a four-time NCAA Division II champion for Grand Canyon in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events and is the only GCU swimmer ever to advance to a semifinal heat at World Championships.
The competition will be televised on Peacock, which requires a subscription. NBC will have daily coverage, but that will be of semifinals and finals only.
GCU's Maria Brunlehner and Emily Muteti will represent Kenya while Lopes sophomore Mohamed Mohamady will compete for Egypt, as well as alumnus Youssef El Kamash. Meanwhile, GCU head coach Steve Schaffer will be coaching Kenya.
Muteti and Brunlehner are Kenyan swimmers, but because World Aquatics suspended the Kenyan Swimming Federation, the team designation for them will be SMF (Suspended Member Federation).
The most successful GCU alumnus at the competition will be Eetu Karvonen, now the coach for Finland. Eetu coaches Finnish swimmer Matti Mattsson, who won a bronze medal in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics. Mattsson will be competing in a very deep field and has a good chance to make the final heats. Eetu was a four-time NCAA Division II champion for Grand Canyon in the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events and is the only GCU swimmer ever to advance to a semifinal heat at World Championships.
The competition will be televised on Peacock, which requires a subscription. NBC will have daily coverage, but that will be of semifinals and finals only.
GCU Swims (Phoenix dates/times)
- July 22, 7:24 p.m. – Muteti, 100 butterfly, heat 2/lane 8 (10-lane pool in preliminaries, lanes numbered 0-9)
- July 24, 6:40 p.m. – Elkamash, 50 breaststroke, heat 5/lane 0
- July 25, 8:09 p.m. – SMF (Kenya), 400 mixed medley relay, heat 3, lane 1 (Brunlehner will swim the breaststroke on the second leg; Muteti will swim the butterfly on the third leg)
- July 26, 6:32 p.m. – Brunlehner, 100 freestyle, heat 1/lane 3
- July 26, 6:56 p.m. – Mohamedy, 200 backstroke, heat 1/ lane 5
- July 27, 7:46 p.m. – Muteti, 50 butterly, heat 4/lane 0
- July 28, 6:36 p.m. – Brunlehner, 50 freestyle, heat 3/lane 9
- July 28, 7:35 p.m. – SMF (Kenya), 400 mixed freestyle relay, heat 3/lane 3 (Muteti and Brunlehner will swim the third and fourth legs, respectively)Â
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Men's Swimming and Diving
/ Women's Swimming and Diving
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