BEIJING — Former LSU swimmer Miko Malberg will represent his native country of Estonia in the 50-meter freestyle Thursday morning at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Malberg is scheduled to enter the “Water Cube” and take to the starting blocks at approximately 5:57 a.m. CST in the preliminary heats of the 50m free. The Estonian will need to place in the top 16 in order to reach the semifinals of the event.
A 2008 NCAA All-American, Malberg broke onto the world scene in 2007 when he recorded a top-ten finish at the World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand with a time of 22.71 seconds in the race. He recently topped that mark in July, posting a new personal-best of 22.67 to take the 50m free title at the 2008 Speedo Champions Series.
“It’s been my dream all of my life to represent my country,” said Malberg. “I just want to enjoy the moment. I’m going to go out there and give it my all.”
Malberg, who completed his collegiate eligibility last season, paced the Tigers to an All-American and school record-breaking finish in the 200 freestyle relay event at the 2008 NCAA Championships in March. In addition, he earned two third-place medals at the SEC Championships in February and registered the second-fastest 50-yard split in program history when he led off the 200 freestyle relay with a time of 19.62 at that meet.
“Miko’s really got his head on his shoulders, and I think that’s going to help him compete at the highest level,” said LSU head coach Adam Schmitt. “I can easily see him getting to the semifinals and then, seeing what he can do from there.”