Online Reporter
Ellina Mhlanga, Zimpapers Sports Hub
CORRY Werrett signed off from the World Aquatics Swimming Championships in Singapore with a personal best in the men’s 100m freestyle yesterday.
Werrett, one of four swimmers representing Zimbabwe at the global meet, clocked 51.93 seconds to win heat one out of 12. It was a marked improvement from his previous best of 52.40, but not enough to advance. Only the top 16 made it to the semi-finals, and Werrett placed 63rd overall out of 110 swimmers.
It was his final race of the competition, having opened his campaign with the 100m breaststroke last Sunday.
Rising star Anje Van As was also back in action yesterday, competing in the women’s 200m butterfly. She placed seventh in her heat with a time of two minutes 19.43 seconds, ranking 23rd overall out of 27 competitors.
Despite the results, Zimbabwe coach Masi Takaedza remained upbeat.
“Today brought some encouraging results. Corry posting a personal best is a fantastic achievement. It is a reward for consistent hard work and staying focused under pressure. We are proud of that step forward.
“For Anje, finishing seventh in her heat may not have been the outcome she wanted, but it’s part of the journey.
“Racing at this level is not easy, and every swim builds experience, toughness and confidence. Her attitude remains positive and that’s something we really value,” said Takaedza.
Van As, who has impressed since switching from triathlon to swimming, is already a gold medallist at both the Africa Aquatics Junior Championships and the AUSC Region 5 Youth Games. Like Werrett, yesterday’s race was her final event at the meet, which runs until Sunday.
She now shifts focus to the World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships set for August 19–24 in Romania, where she’ll team up with Mikayla Makwabarara and Tori Dawe.
Zimbabwe still have two swimmers in action in Singapore. Paige Van Der Westhuizen lines up in the women’s 100m freestyle today and returns Saturday for the 50m freestyle, while Joash Mckonie is back in the pool tomorrow for the men’s 50m freestyle. He made his debut on Sunday in the men’s 50m butterfly.
Takaedza said the focus remains on refining the basics and building belief.
“Looking ahead, our approach remains the same: keep training hard, keep our heads up, and continue working on all the key aspects of the sport, technique, starts, underwater work.
“Each of these plays a vital role in success at this level. Whether it’s improving breakout speed, tightening up a turn, or learning how to finish a race stronger.
“We are going to give attention to every detail. At the same time, we will continue building strong, positive mindsets, swimmers who believe in themselves and in the process.
“I am proud of the effort today. We are not just here to race, we are here to grow. And that’s exactly what we’re doing,” said Takaedza.
