She broke the previous record in the 100m backstroke, held by Andrea Becali.

Cuba’s Laurent Estrada set a national record in the 100m backstroke today by clocking 1:00.74 minutes at the opening of the Budapest 2024 World Short Course Swimming Championships in Hungary.

The previous record in the 25-metre pool was 1:01.25 and belonged to her compatriot Andrea Becali, set in 2021 at the 15th edition of the world championships in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 21-year-old from Villaclare, who turns 21 on Wednesday, did not disappoint her coach Luisa María Mojarrieta, who before leaving for the Hungarian capital highlighted to JIT the progress that her pupil had been showing given her potential and the firmness with which she fulfils each training session, so she expected new heights.

Laurent, in her world championship debut, placed 39th out of 63 contestants and will have her next commitment next Sunday, the closing date of the important competition.

For her part, Becali, who has been concentrating on the freestyle since 2022, will make her appearance this Wednesday in the hectometre and on the 15th in the 200m.

Laurent and Becali, along with Elisbet Gámez and Lorena González, were part of the winning relays in the 100m and 200m freestyle at the Central American and Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023, with records for the event.

Meanwhile, at the World Championships in Budapest, Havana’s Vladimir Hernández will compete in the 400 and 800 metres on the 12th and 14th, in that order, in what will be his World Championships debut.