Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ANJE VAN AS once again chose the international stage to underscore her growing status as the “next big thing” in Zimbabwean swimming after scooping her country’s first gold medal at the ongoing Africa Aquatics Senior and Junior Swimming Championships in Oran, Algeria.
Van As touched the wall in 2 minutes 14.96 seconds to clinch gold in the 200m butterfly in the seniors.
Last year she won a gold in the same event at the Africa Aquatics Junior Championships in Cairo, Egypt as she made her debut at the continental competition. This time around the South Africa-based swimmer is competing for honours in the Senior Championships and has already made an impression after claiming gold in her first event as the competition got underway on Tuesday.
The Senior and Junior Championships are running until Sunday.
Chipo Mwachema, who is in charge of Team Zimbabwe in Algeria is happy with what she has seen in the early stages of the competition.
“I am encouraged by the swimmers’ performances.
“I mean we had a really good start yesterday (Tuesday) with four girls making the finals and pushing hard to finish with some really good rankings.
“Anje with a gold in the 200m butterfly, Paige and Alexis getting silver medals in the 100m freestyle in their respective age groups, and Mikayla coming in a strong fourth place by a very small margin.
“For our team, this is the kind of a calm, confident start I expected especially coming from our more experienced swimmers,” said Mwachema.
Paige Van Der Westhuizen won silver in the senior women’s 100m freestyle in 56.54 seconds.
In the juniors, it was also a good day in the pool for rising star Alexis Johnsen as she got a silver medal in 100m freestyle in 58.90 seconds.
Johnsen has been on the rise and will be hoping for more podium performances as the meet continues.
Another Zimbabwe junior sensation Mikayla Makwabarara was also up for competition in the 100m free-style and placed fourth in 59.50 seconds.
Johnsen, Van As and Van Der Westhuizen were back in action yesterday and made the 200m freestyle finals that were scheduled for the evening session.
Van As and Van Der Westhuizen were also up for the 50m butterfly final together with Makwabarara.
Neema Bhulabhai was set to compete in the 100m breaststroke final that was also scheduled for late yesterday.
“The first day can really set the tone of the whole competition, and having such a great start with three podium finishes out of four finals has really been a massive positive for our team.
“We celebrate also the PBs we have achieved so far. It really validates the hard work the swimmers have put into training and boosts the general confidence and morale of the team.
“It absolutely inspires the rest of the team,” Mwachema said.
“Swimming may be an individual sport but it is essentially a team-spirited sport, a win for one swimmer, whether a podium finish or a cutting off a split second and getting a new PB, is reason for celebration all round,” she added.
Zimbabwe have sent a 10-member team of junior and senior men and women to Algeria.
Van As and Van Der Westhuizen are among the nine beneficiaries of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Solidarity Scholarships.
And such performances are key for them in laying the foundation towards Olympics qualification.
