Africa: Swimming Championship and a Bag of Medals

Dunford completes a three-gold medal feat at Africa championship at Kasarani

Kenya’s Jason Dunford completed his hat trick of gold medals as the curtains fell down on the 11th Africa Senior Swimming Championship at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani Aquatic Complex yesterday. The medal which came in the 50m freestyle in a time of 23.01, broke a 14 year-old All Comers Record set by Roland Schoeman and Salim in 1998.

The gold saw Kenya’s swimming prodigy gather a total of six medals including gold medals in 100m and 50m butterfly, two silvers in the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle and a bronze in the 200m freestyle. No other athlete from Team Kenya bagged a medal in the week long championships.

Jason was happy to score a hat trick and observed that taking enough rest worked in his favour. “I rested enough with my focus on the race. I knew I was the favourite in the race and that meant I had to be better than my opponents and had to do whatever it took me to ensure that I remained in good shape,” said Dunford. “My dive today was good and I am happy with clocking a national record.”

Others who took to the pool but failed to reach the podium were Martha Opiyo, who was fifth in the women’s 200m butterfly in a time of 2:46.13. Kenya’s Anita Field finished eighth in the women’s 200m backstroke in a time of 2:44.97. Dunford said he is now looking ahead to the World Cup in Turkey, in 2014, Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and 2016 Olympics in Brazil before calling it a day.

South Africans Mandy Loots (gold and a silver medal) and Myles Brown ( seven gold, silver and two bronze medals )were the events best swimmers.

Overall standings:

1. South Africa 525 (Pts)

2. Egypt 391

3. Algeria 209

4. Tunisia 198

5. Kenya 129

6. Angola 93

7. Senegal 25

8. Namibia 24

9. Mauritius 11

10. Nigeria 7

11. Botswana 5

12. Seychelles 4

13. Rwanda 2