Chronicle Editor
Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter
HARARE were crowned champions of the four-day 2020 Senior National Swimming Championships that ended at Bulawayo City Pool yesterday.
The swimming gala started on Wednesday, with Harare, Matabeleland, Mashonaland Country Districts, Manicaland and Crocs taking part.
Crocs is a group of unaffiliated swimmers put together to take part in the championship.
Harare finished with a combined total score of 3 066 while second-placed Matabeleland accumulated 2 081 points. In third place were Mashonaland Country Districts with 119 points followed by Crocs with 57 points and Manicaland with 42 points.
Harare were the overall winners and dominated in the female reces while Matabeleland dominated in the male category.
Harare’s female swimmers that dominated their respective age groups included emerging stars Donata Katai (16) and Paige van der Westhuizen (17), with Vhenekai Dhemba (14) and Tanatsirwa Chitsururu (14) winning most of the races they took part in while Matabeleland’s Rollo Riana (17) clinched several gold medals including the 100m breaststroke and 50m backstroke.
Liam O’Hara, Quintin Tayali, Denilson Cyprianos, Joash McKonie and Cory Werret ensured Matabeleland dominated male races.
Matabeleland Amateur Swimming Board spokesperson Thomas Werret said close to 200 swimmers took part in the gala.
“Only Midlands failed to field a team for this event. Swimmers managed to post good times, with some attaining personal bests and also meeting qualifying times for forthcoming international events. Zimbabwe is heading for Botswana for the Cana Zone IV championships next month and this was an opportunity for swimmers selected for the event to prepare,” said Werret. — @innocentskizoe
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