The Sunday News
Ngqwele Dube, Sports Correspondent
FOUR junior swimmers are set to represent Zimbabwe at the Fina World Junior Championships that get underway on Tuesday in Budapest, Hungary.
Up-and-coming swimming stars, Paige Van der Westhuizen and Donata Katai will swim in the women’s section while Denilson Cyprianos and Liam O’Hara will be fighting it out in the men’s category.
Speaking before departure on Thursday, Cyprianos said his aim is to get into the semi-final stages of the competition.
The Stingrays swimmer has had a great year in his swimming career as he managed to break national 200m backstroke open record and the 100m backstroke record.
“I have been working very hard over the winter and my focus was firmly on Hungary. I am ready to take on other top swimmers from around the world, I know I will be meeting the best in the world and I think I am well prepared.
“I’m hoping to make the semi-finals of the events that I will be taking part in,” he said.
Cyprianos will be taking part in five events, 100m and 200m freestyle and in the backstroke, in which he has been excelling, he will take part in the three races, 50m, 100m and 200m.
The emerging swimmer outlined his potential to scale greater heights when he set a new record in both the 17-year-old and open categories backstroke 200m at the South African National Junior Age Groups in April as he completed the race in two minutes 08,64 seconds.
In June the Christian Brothers College pupil lowered his 100m backstroke record from 59.72 seconds to 59,01 seconds to clinch gold at a meet in Dubai.
The team will be led by Mairead Gonclaves, who has been appointed team manager.
The Junior Championships are set to draw young swimmers from all over the world and is set to run from 20 to 25 August.
Meanwhile another swimming team is headed for Morocco to represent the country at the African Games.
The team is made up five swimmers — Robyn Stacie Lee, Nomvula Mjimba, Ayman Fadi Khatoun, Quintin Tayali and Peter Charles Wetzlar.
The Games kicked off on Friday and will run until 31 August although swimming will take place from 21 to 24August.
The Games serve as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
Coach, Sheelah Crause said they hope two or more swimmers will be able to make it to the world’s biggest sporting showcase.
