University of Minnesota Athletics
Plummer Wins Silver at World Championships
8/1/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Swimming & Diving
Aug. 1, 2013
Former University of Minnesota swimmer David Plummer won the silver medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, earlier this week with a time of 53.12.
The 2008 Gopher graduate touched the wall just 0.19 seconds behind fellow American and 2012 Olympic gold medalist Matt Grevers, who clocked in at 52.93, to give the United States a 1-2 finish in the event. Both Plummer and Grevers finished ahead of defending champion Jeremy Stravius, who wound up third in 53.21.
It's the first time since an Aaron Peirsol three-peat from 2003, 2005, 2007, that the U.S. has won the world title in the event, but a U.S. 1-2 isn't rare in the event either as Robert Jackson, Peter Rocca (1978), Peirsol, Randall Bal (2005) and Peirsol, Ryan Lochte (2007) all have pulled off the feat for the Stars and Stripes.
Plummer qualified for the World Championships after putting together a pair of impressive performances in both the 50-meter back and 100-meter back at the 2013 Phillips 66 National Championships at the end of June.
During the event, Plummer won the 50m back in 24.52, setting a new LC National and U.S. Open record, before winning the 100m back in 53.10. Plummer's time in the 50m back is the fastest time in the world thus far.
-UM-
