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Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
SIX junior swimmers take to the waters at the 2018 Irish Summer National Championships in Ireland today aiming to qualify for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games to be held later this year.
The event is the last chance for the swimmers to reach qualifying times for the Olympic Games as the cut-off date is July 31.
The Irish Championships kick off today up to Sunday at the National Aquatic Centre in Dublin, while the Youth Olympics are scheduled for Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October.
Swimmers that made the trip are Liam O’Hara, Paige van der Westhuizen, Nomvula Mjimba, Dale Bruce, Quintin Tayali and Denilson Cyprianos.
O’Hara (17) will swim in four events, 50m breaststroke, 200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, while Tayali (17) will feature in the 100m and 200m butterfly.
Cyprianos (16) will compete in the 200m freestyle and in all the three backstroke events (50m, 100, and 200m), with Bruce (18) featuring in the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly races. The four swimmers will combine in the 400m medley relay event.
Van der Westhuizen (15) will take part in seven races, the 50m breaststroke, 100m freestyle, 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly, 50m backstroke, 50m freestyle and 200m freestyle, while Mjimba competes in the 50m and 100m freestyle as well as the 100m butterfly.
The swimmers left for Ireland on Sunday.
Zimbabwe Aquatic Union (ZAU) president Mary Kloppers said they believe the swimmers are ready to make it on the grand stage.
“This is the last chance to qualify for the Youth Olympics so we are hopeful some of the swimmers will be able to beat the qualifying times so that we have representation in swimming in the Olympics team,” said Kloppers.
She said the trip was made possible by part funding from the International Olympic Committee through the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee.
To be eligible to participate in the Youth Olympic Games, athletes must have been born between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2003.
Online Reporter