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Ellina Mhlanga
Senior Sports Reporter
WITH the 16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) getting closer, Zimbabwe’s coach Masi Takaedza is confident they will stand their own when they take part in the meet. The championships are due to take place from December 13 to 18 in Melbourne, Australia.
Zimbabwe are fielding four swimmers – Liam Davis, Liam O’Hara, Nomvula Mjimba and Donata Katai.
Davis is going to compete in 200m breaststroke and O’Hara is set to swim 100m breaststroke and 200m individual medley.
Katai will compete in 50m and 100m backstroke while Mjimba will be up for 50m and 100m freestyle. Takaedza will be in charge of the swimmers for this tour.
“For us it’s just about personal best times. We are hoping that swimmers will get personal best times this time around, that’s our main goal. If we get anything over and above, it will be a bonus. But we are just hoping that we get personal best times in all the events that they are taking part in.
“We feel they now have enough experience. I don’t know if there is such a thing but we think that they won’t be overwhelmed by the occasion this time around,” said Takaedza.
Mjimba and Katai are coming from injuries with the former having suffered a concussion a few weeks back and the coach hopes they will rise above the setbacks.
“Both Nomvula and Donata, they are coming off injuries at the moment but I know that they have resumed training.
“Short course, I think it will suit both of them because they have got very good starts and very good turns. With short course, it’s about how fast you turn and how quick you are off the starting block.
“So I think it will suit both of them and I am confident that they will get personal best times this time around.
“The boys are okay. Liam O’Hara, he trains in a short course pool and he works with a world class squad. We are not really worrying too much about the boys I think they have got the experience at this level to do well,” said Takaedza.
Team manager, Zanele Nkomazana, said although they are still struggling on funding, they have made good progress towards ensuring the tour becomes a reality and the positive attitude from the swimmers have been encouraging.
Davis is based in the UK while O’Hara is in South Africa and Mjimba, who is based in the United States, is up for a college competition from today until Sunday.
“Nomvula is competing this weekend unfortunately that disturbs her training because she has to do her college competitions from Thursday to Sunday… When you compete you rest. So she is resting at the wrong time and then she will be left with two weeks to go up again and train heavily, it will be difficult. But we will see how it goes. She came out of a concussion… so it hasn’t been nice on her part.
“And then Donata finished school, so we expect Donata to be in full training now. And also she has got a double. She has got Region Five, and then straight from Region Five she goes to Australia.
“The two boys really I think they are at the right stage, they have been working hard. I know when we have school it’s hard, the girls had school, and this and that. But the boys have been working hard.
“We are hopeful that they will be ready by the time we travel,” said Nkomazana.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter