HOME SQUADS SPLASH TO GLORY

By Chris Musumba

Ramadham Vyombo set a new championship record in the boys’ Under-17 category, clocking 26.37 to beat 26.50 set by Timothy Ferris by more than 13 seconds as the Africa Zone Three and Four Swimming Championships entered its second day at the Kasarani Aquatic pool on Saturday.

Vyombo dashed through the 50m pool in the butterfly style with Milimo Mweetwa (27.97 ) of Zambia trailing him in second place and South Africa’s Malesela Molepo (28.09) finishing third.

Kenya teams held on gallantly at the helm of the point standings as international home swimmer Sylvia Brunlehner, Martha Opiyo, Rebecca Kamau in the girls’ squad and Batian Thorpe, Vaghela Shivraj in the boys’ all clinched gold in the respective categories.

The Kenya team had secured 987 points at the top after 44 combined events, which is 55 more than second-placed Zimbabwe, with Botswana having 807 in third. Pre-tournament favourites South Africa finished fifth with 723 points.

Opiyo was timed at 33.90 in the U-12 girls’ 50m butterfly. The meet record stands at 32.11. Bree Catterall of Zimbabwe was second in 34.02 while Malawian Joyce Tafatatha settled for third in 35.10.

Thorpe edged out Nuwa Serujogi in the boys’ U-10 over the 50m butterfly style category. He was timed at 37.59 and the Ugandan 38.44 as another Kenyan, Emmanuel Ndonga, came third in 40.88.

Shivraj (30.76) dominated the boys’ U-12. He was superior to Zimbabwean Levi Fergnoli, who posted 32.43 and his team mate Peter Wetzlar (33.04) to come in third. Uganda’s Arnold Kisulo (34.02) was fourth.

Missed meet record

Brunlehner, a student at Mombasa Academy, missed out on breaking the 50m butterfly meet record by a whisker after posting just 31.79, which is 0.6 seconds off the mark. She beat Alexa Morrisby of Zimbabwe to second in 31.88.

Mauritian Estelle Li Chuen Chong (31.89) was third and her compatriot Adeline Tin (31.95) fourth. Mercedes Milner (Zimbabwe) was not as fast as the car she is named after, winding fifth in 32.70.

Sean Gunn (Zimbabwe) claimed the boys’ U-16 title in 27.74 ahead of team mate Tim Schurz 27.89 as Emmanuel Froget of Mauritius (28.20) came third.

Jessica Bragason of South Africa won the girls’ U-17 category in 30.32 ahead of Namibia’s Daniela Lindemeier (32.16) while Samantha Paxinos (Botswana) was third in 33.10 ahead of compatriot Pamelyn Beukes (33.55).