Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga
Zimpapers Sports Hub
ZIMBABWE’S swimmers at the ongoing World Aquatics Championships in Singapore will be hoping for a better outcome tomorrow when they return to the pool.
Four swimmers — Paige Van Der Westhuizen, Anje Van As, Cory Werrett and Joash Mckonie — are representing the country at the championships.
The swimming competition got underway on Sunday and is running until August 3.
Van As, Werrett and Mckonie competed in their first events on Sunday and they all bowed out in the heats.
Van As was up for women’s 100m butterfly and she finished fourth in 1minute 02.63seconds in heat 2 of the six heats that were lined up for the day.
She could not beat her time of 1 minute 01.01 seconds that saw her setting the African Union Sports Council Region 5 Youth Games record in the girls 19-and-Under, in Namibia early this month.
Overall, she was placed 42 out of 58 participants.
Mckonie was eighth in the men’s 50m butterfly with a time of 25.63 seconds, in heat 5 of 11 heats, and was ranked 67 out of 97 swimmers.
It was the same story for Werrett as he finished fourth in the men’s 100m breaststroke in 1minute 07.23seconds.
Overall, he was ranked 65 out of the 72 swimmers that participated.
Only the top 16 swimmers in each event advanced to the semi-finals.
Coach Masi Takaedza, who is in charge of the team in Singapore admitted it was not what they had hoped for on the first day of competition.
“Yes, it was a challenging start, and time wise, not what we hoped for. That said, I saw moments of promise especially in how they handled themselves under pressure.
