Avon’s Madison Kennedy sets two new meet records at Geneva Challenge

Avon’s Madison Kennedy (Courtesy U.S. Swimming)

GENEVA, Switzerland, Jan. 23 – Avon’s Madison Kennedy won two events and set two new meet records at the Geneva International Challenge Saturday in the 100-meter freestyle and the 50-meter backstroke.

Kennedy’s time of 55.19 seconds in the 100 meter freestyle broke the old mark of 55.33 set by France’s Camille Muffat in 2014. Kennedy went out fast with a time of 26.14 in the first 50 meters, nearly a full second ahead of the field. Switzerland’s Maria Ugolkova was second in 56.02 and England’s Hannah Bruville (56.95) was third.

Her record-breaking time was a bit slower than the 54.78 she swam in the 100 freestyle at the Arena Pro Series in Austin, Texas a week earlier. Kennedy was 10th in that race.

Kennedy also set a new record by winning the 50 meter backstroke in 29.27 seconds. That broke the mark set earlier in the day by Italian Laura Letrari of 29.53 seconds. In the final, Letrari was second with a time of 29.47 seconds while Seraina Sturzenegger of Switzerland was third in 30.85.

Kennedy will be swimming in the 50 meter freestyle on Sunday. She is the top seed in the race with a time of 24.70, nearly a second better than Letrari, who is the No. 2 seed with a time of 25.67 seconds.