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Ellina Mhlanga Senior Sports Reporter
ZIMBABWE wrapped up their participation at the ongoing 19th FINA World Championships yesterday with Nomvula Mjimba setting a new personal best in the 50m freestyle when coming first in Heat Four, in Budapest, Hungary.
The United States-based swimmer came first in Heat Four in 28.13seconds beating her entry time of 28.38seconds to set a new personal best.
However, she did not make the top 16 to advance to the semi-final. Mjimba was placed 54 out of 82 swimmers.
On Wednesday, she set another personal best in the 100m freestyle when she completed the race in 1minute 02.20seconds.
Zimbabwe had four swimmers – Mjimba, Liam Davis, Donata Katai and Denilson Cyprianos – taking part at the world meet.
Cyprianos was, however, forced to withdraw from the competition because of an injury. He was scheduled to compete in the 100m backstroke and 200m backstroke.
But the trio of Mjimba, Davis and Katai made some strides when they set personal best times in their respective events. First in the competition was Katai last Sunday when she took part in the 100m backstroke. She went on to compete in the 50m backstroke where she set a new personal best time of 29.81seconds. It was the same story for Davis, who set a new personal best in the 200m breastroke (2minutes 19.62seconds). Going into the competition, coach Masi Takaedza, who was in charge of the team in Budapest, said one of their targets was for the swimmers to improve their times and they managed to do that, also earning FIN points in the process.
For Mjimba, Katai and Cyprianos it was also a platform to experience the high level and stiff competition at this level as they met some of the world’s best swimmers.
The trio are some of the hopefuls for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and they are beneficiaries of the IOC Olympic Solidarity Scholarships aimed at helping the athletes seeking qualification for the Games. They will be hoping to build on that experience going forward and hopefully it comes in handy when the qualification process for the 2024 Games begins.
Katai made her maiden appearance at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last year where she set a personal best time in the 100m backstroke.
She became the first black Zimbabwean swimmer to compete at the global multi-sport showpiece and was the youngest athlete in Team Zimbabwe at the Games where the country fielded five athletes.
The World Championships which are featuring swimming, diving, water polo, open water and artistic swimming are running until July 3.
Online Reporter