An impressive total of four new Championship Records were achieved during the third day of the CANA Zone IV Swimming Championships in Gaborone, Botswana today, with Zimbabwe remaining top of the medal table, followed by Namibia and the host nation.
Mauritius’ Victor Ah Yong (15) was in record breaking form after he posted a new Championship Record in the 100m butterfly, clocking 57.24, shedding over a second from the 2017 time of 59.00.
Ah Yong was followed by Mozambique’s Matthew Lawrence (16) in 57.55 and Namibia’s Mikah Burger (15) in 59.70, while the Mauritian also won a silver medal in the 200m backstroke in 2:20.33 behind Botswana’s Andile Bekker (16) in 2:16.54 and ahead of SA’s Ramon Landmann (16) in 2:20.57.
Bekker, on the other hand, had to settle for the silver in the 400m freestyle in 4:17.45, with the gold in the event going to Botswana’s James Freeman (18) in 4:12.82 and the bronze to SA’s Wietske vd Westhuizen (16) in 4:23.52, while Lawrence won the silver in the 100m breaststroke in 1:08.40 and finished with a gold in the 50m freestyle in 24.63.
Freeman also made his way to the medal podium in the 200m backstroke, winning a silver medal in 2:17.64, with Zimbabwe’s Denilson Cyprianos clocking a new Championship Record time of 2:09.41 to claim the title, while Freeman made it three by winning the 50m freestyle in 24.43.
Another Championship Record came from Namibia’s Oliver Durand (12) in the 200m backstroke, winning the race in 2:32.05 to the 2017 time of 2:34.33 and later in the evening, claimed the gold in the 100m breaststroke in 1:20.16 and the 100m butterfly in 1:09.41.
The 15-16 200m backstroke also saw a new Championship Record being posted by Namibia’s Tiana Esslinger (16) in 2:27.64 ahead of Madagascar’s Idealy Tendrinavalona (15) in 2:29.31 and SA’s Abigail Swanepoel (16) in 2:34.52
There was no stopping Namibia’s Heleni Stergiadis (17) as she claimed the gold medals in the 400m freestyle in 4:40.67, the 100m butterfly in 1:07.28, the 200m backstroke in 2:30.99
Zimbabwe’s Paige van der Westhuizen (16) and SA’s Danica van Jaarsveld (16) walked away with the silver and bronze in the 400m freestyle in 4:40.73 and 4:47.76, Zimbabwe’s Nomvula Mjimba (17) and Madagascar’s Holy Rabejaona (17) completed the 100m butterfly in 1:10.70 and 1:12.91, while the backstroke medals went to Namibia’s Vicky Botha (18) and Angola’s Maria Lopes Freitas (22) in 2:37.95 and 2:44.01, respectively.
Van der Westhuizen was not done for the day, as she also scooped the gold in the 100m butterfly in 1:06.96 ahead of Mauritius’ Ines Gebert (15) in 1:08.23 and Zambia’s Mia Phiri (16) in 1:10.20, and later won the silver in the 100m breaststroke and the 50m freestyle, clocking 1:18.02 and 27.74, respectively, while Freitas went two better in the 100m breaststroke, winning the race in 1:24.73.
Kirabo Namutebi (15) claimed Uganda’s first gold medal in the 50m freestyle in 27.07 with the bronze going to Zambia’s Phiri in 27.78.
Zimbabwe’s Courtney Brown (17) was first in the 50m freestyle with a time of 28.52 ahead of Mjimba in 28.84 and Rabejaona in 29.39, while the medals in the 400m freestyle went to SA’s Emma Beyers (14) in 4:53.71, SA’s Tiara Finnis (14) in 4:58.71 and Mauritius’ Jamie Ramgoolam (14) in 5:01.81.
Eswatini’s Hayley Hoy (11) and Namibia’s Ariana Naukosho (12) bagged the silver and bronze in the 100m butterfly in 1:13.84 and 1:15.76 and the bronze and silver in the 200m backstroke in 2:52.44 and 2:44.00, respectively, while the gold in the butterfly was won by Zambia’s Tamenji Miti (12) in 1:13.48 and the backstroke first place was claimed by Namibia’s Reza Westerduin (12) in 2:43.07.
Naukosho bagged her third medal of the day, a gold, in the 100m breaststroke in 1:27.44, while Hoy won the bronze in 1:29.48 and Miti a silver in the 50m freestyle (30.16) behind Seychelles’ Isabelle Labuschagne (12) in 29.46 and ahead of Mauritius’ Eunnice Ramdhun (12) and Zimbabwe’s Mikayla Makwabarara who shared the bronze in 30.53.
Mozambique’s Caio Lobo (14) continued to showcase his fine form by winning the gold in the 200m backstroke in 2:25.53 ahead of SA’s Leson Visagie (14) in 2:30.32 and Mozambique’s Kaio Faftine (13) in 2:32.45 and another gold medal in the 100m breaststroke in 1:11.86 followed by Seychelles’ Nathan Nagapin (14) in 1:14.04 and SA’s Clayton Thompson (14) in 1:16.60.
Lobo went on to win a silver medal in the 100m butterfly in 1:04.36 behind Zimbabwe’s Tichatonga Makaya (13) in 1:03.96 and ahead of SA’s Pierce Kotze (14) in 1:06.27, while Visagie managed another silver in the 400m freestyle in 4:44.03 and Makaya won his second gold, this time in the 50m freestyle in 26.83.
In the fast pace 50m freestyle, Botswana’s Junior Keitsile (12) finished first in 28.01 ahead of Seychelles’ Alexander Payet (12) in 28.31 and Zimbabwe’s Kyle Heyns (12) in 29.86, while
In the 13-14 100m butterfly, Zimbabwe’s Vhenekai Dhemba (13) topped the medal podium in 1:10.03, followed by team-mate Mkhuseli Mahobele (14) in 1:12.59 and Botswana’s Kimberly Ingwe (14) in 1:13.04, and followed that performance with a silver medal in the 50m freestyle in 29.24 behind compatriot Kiara Goodinson (14) in 28.97 and ahead of Namibia’s Maya Stange (14) in 29.39.
SA’s Ingrid Banza (14), Zambia’s Antonia Liacopoulos (14) and Seychelles’ Lilianna Mason (13) topped the 13-14 100m breaststroke in 1:21.10, 1:23.50 and 1:24.10, while the gold, silver and bronze in the men’s 17-24 category breaststroke went to Malawi’s Filipe Gomes (22), Botswana’s Ethan Fischer (17) and Zimbabwe’s Tait Mills (17) in 1:07.40, 1:07.96 and 1:11.40, respectively.
Seychelles’ Mathieu Bachmann was fast off the block in the 100m butterfly, winning in 57.07 ahead of Zambia’s Ralph Goveia (23) in 57.38 and Zimbabwe’s Joash McKonie (17) in 57.65, while the ladies’ 200m backstroke 13-14 final was won by Zimbabwe’s Timea Schultz (14) in 2:29.86 followed by Botswana’s Kimberly Ingwe (14) in 2:37.91 and SA’s Kaeli-Peace Armour (13) in 2:40.33
In the mixed U14 4 x 100m medley relay, Zimbabwe won the title in 4:42.21 ahead of South Africa in 4:49.76 and Mozambique in 4:52.13, while the Over 15 gold was claimed by Mauritius in 4:22.09 followed by Zimbabwe in 4:22.21 and Botswana in 4:24.34.
In the Masters section of the competition, Botswana picked up nine gold medals from Alma Saat (46) in 6:02.02 in the 400m freestyle and the 50m freestyle in 34.23, Peter Freeman (45) in 6:02.16 in the 400m freestyle, Tatenda Ngorosha (26) in 1:21.62 in the 100m butterfly and 26.20 in the 50m freestyle, Lawrence Gachala (49) in 1:42.70 in the 100m butterfly and 1:52.04 in the 100m breaststroke, Boitumelo Baleseng (39) in 1:31.02 in the 100m breaststroke and Owen Caple (49) in 28.22 in the 50m freestyle.
Namibia’s Dentie Louw (36) walked away with the gold in the 400m freestyle in 5:45.86, while the top spot in the 100m butterfly went to Malawi’s Sharon Melrose (58) in 1:45.56.
Zambia grabbed four gold medals from Sophie Peach (32) in 2:01.99 in the 100m breaststroke and 39.60 in the 50m freestyle and Tonia Weltin (49) in 1:44.49 and 3:31.30 in the 100m breaststroke and the 200m backstroke, respectively.
The 2020 CANA Zone IV Swimming Championships conclude tomorrow with the final session starting 09h00.
Medal rankings (after day 3):
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Zimbabwe | 25 | 24 | 16 | 65 |
| Namibia | 23 | 11 | 16 | 50 |
| Botswana | 9 | 13 | 8 | 30 |
| Mozambique | 9 | 5 | 5 | 19 |
| South Africa | 7 | 16 | 19 | 42 |
| Seychelles | 7 | 7 | 11 | 25 |
| Mauritius | 7 | 5 | 7 | 19 |
| Zambia | 4 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| Malawi | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Angola | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Madagascar | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 |
| Uganda | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Eswatini | 0 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Masters Medal rankings (after Day 03):
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| Botswana | 22 | 18 | 11 | 51 |
| Zambia | 12 | 7 | 3 | 22 |
| Namibia | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| Mozambique | 2 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Malawi | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Uganda | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| South Africa | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
