Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
COACH Masi Takaedza is confident that Zimbabwe’s athletes will not be intimidated by the huge presence of their global rivals at the World Aquatics Championships.
Zimbabwe Swimming have named teams to compete at the upcoming World Aquatics Championships and the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships, which will take place between July and August in Singapore and Romania.
The World Aquatics Championships will take place in Singapore from July 11 to August 3, where over 2 500 athletes are expected to participate at the championships, representing World Aquatics’ 210 national member federations across the six aquatic sports — swimming, water polo, diving, Artistic Swimming, Open Water Swimming and high diving.
Zimbabwe will be represented by two females — Anje Van As and Paige Van Der Westhuizen — and two males — Joash Mckonie and Cory Werrett — in swimming, with Takaedza taking charge of the team.
For the Open Water Swimming, the team consists of Susie Worsfold, Connor Grist and Jayden De Swardt. They will be accompanied by coach Charlotte Wetzlar.
Takaedza, however, believes the team will be up for the task in Singapore despite the expected tough competition from a large pool of swimmers on the global stage.
“I am very pleased with the team selected for the World Championships.
“It’s a strong mix of emerging talent and experienced swimmers, who have shown consistent progress throughout the last few seasons.
“I believe this group has the right mindset and potential to represent the country with pride.
“Their performances at recent competitions have been encouraging. We have seen steady improvements in personal bests, better race strategies and mental toughness under pressure — all indicators that they are on the right track.
“With the final preparation phase underway, they will be focusing on sharpening race-specific elements to ensure they are at their peak come the Championships,” Takaedza said.
For Van As, her achievements at the Africa Aquatics Junior Championships, where she won gold in the 200m butterfly and two bronze in the 100m and 50m butterfly events, could serve as a confidence booster.
It was her maiden appearance at the junior continental show-piece.
“Absolutely, for a young swimmer like Anje, success at the Africa Junior Champs is a massive confidence booster.
“Medalling at that level shows she can compete under pressure, and it is a validation of the hard work she has put in.
“It gives her momentum going into the World Championships, and with the right support, she can carry that confidence into even bigger performances.”
Takaedza, who has over the years been appointed for different tours, said most of the work has already been done and they are now looking at fine-tuning a few areas and ensuring the swimmers are mentally ready.
“The bulk of the work has already been done.
“For me, the next few weeks are about refining technique, improving details like starts and turns, and ensuring the swimmers are mentally and physically fresh. That said, there is always room to fine-tune.
“The focus now is on making sure we arrive with maximum readiness.”
“Our expectations are for each swimmer to perform at their best and execute their races according to plan. Results will follow if we get the processes right.
“We are aiming for personal bests and if the opportunity presents itself semi-finals qualifications. But more importantly, we want our athletes to gain valuable experience, grow through the challenge, and continue building towards LA 2028 (Olympic Games),” said Takaedza.
A few weeks after the meet, focus shifts to the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships to be held in Romania from August 19 to 24.
Van As will team up with teenage sensation Mikayla Makwabarara and Tori Dawe for the junior competition. Lindsy Tudor-Cole will take charge of the junior swimmers.
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