Lobb proud of swimmer Donata

Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
SHARKS swimming club coach Kathy Lobb is proud to see promising swimmer Donata Katai participating at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games that gets underway this Friday.

The Games are running until August 8.

Katai, who is 17-years-old, is representing the country together with United States-based Peter Wetzlar in swimming.

The Sharks swimming club swimmer is competing in 100m backstroke while ex-Sharks swimmer Wetzlar is competing in 100m freestyle.

“It is every coach’s dream to get a swimmer to the Olympics and in Zimbabwe it takes a long time and a lot of hard work. It is not a quick fix thing. She is the first home trained swimmer to get to an Olympics since 2000.

“It is huge for the club having two Olympians as both of them are actually from Sharks. Peter is an ex Sharks swimmer and trained/trains with me on his trips home both from school and University,” said Lobb.

Lobb said participating at the Games is important for Katai’s development and hopefully the experience will lead to more Olympics in the future.

“This is vital in Donata’s development. Sadly there is a belief in Zimbabwe that the Olympics are a fitting end to a career and Zimbabwe have only sent older athletes in the past, those at the end of their University courses and about to give up their swimming. Kirsty (Coventry) was the exception.

“I believe, as ZOC (Zimbabwe Olympic Committee) does, we need to be looking at it more as an opportunity for development and experience leading to more Olympics and better results each time. Kirsty led the way and showed it could be done.

“This is a fantastic opportunity to look, listen and learn — to watch the world’s top swimmers in action and benefit from the whole experience. It is the first stage in what we hope will be a long and fruitful career in swimming.

“This is a very different Olympics to the norm and opportunities will be very restricted. She wants to go to the States on a scholarship after her ‘A’ Levels, so participation at this level can only help her do that and get into a good American University,” said Lobb.

Katai and Wetzlar got the two universality slots that were awarded to Zimbabwe by FINA.

Katai represented the country at the FINA Junior World Championships in 2019. She also went to the Africa Junior Swimming Championships in the same year where she picked gold medals in 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly.

“These two competitions where she did so well under normal circumstances set her up for consideration for these Olympics,” said Lobb.

Lobb wished the young swimmer the best.

“Apart from the look, listen and learn, have fun, enjoy, do your best and look at the Games as the first stage of a long and successful future career,” said Lobb.

Zimbabwe Swimming chairperson, Tracey Doorman, said competing at this level will benefit the promising swimmer.

“This will be an experience that will for sure be part of where she goes next in terms of goals and how she will achieve them. In terms of opportunities, whilst there may be no direct ones, the fact that she has performed on that stage can only benefit her in whatever she chooses to do next,” said Doorman.

The swimming team at the Tokyo Games is being led by coach Lindsy Tudor-Cole and they all arrived in Japan on Sunday.