World Swimming Championship (25m) Istanbul, Turkey, 12-16 December South Africa : the Hope of the Continent
Copyright : Panoramic
Africa will be represented at this year’s World Swimming Championship that will run from 12 to 16 December in Istanbul, Turkey by the undisputable heavyweight in the discipline, South Africa.
Africa will be represented at this year’s World Swimming Championship that will run from 12 to 16 December in Istanbul, Turkey by the undisputable heavyweight in the discipline, South Africa. 19 (7 male and 12 female) swimmers will fly the country’s and continent’s flag in Turkey. The team will be led by Chad le Clos for the men and Karin Prinsloo for the women with some young blood having pumped into it. This team made clean sweeps at the last African Championship. Regrettably, South African international swimmer of high repute and specialist in the breaststroke event, Cameron van de Burgh, will not make the Turkey trip as he misses the chance to defend his world title in the 100m event won in Dubai two years ago. Actually, the native of Durban is just returning from a very fruitful world tournament where he made a fine show of his swimming by winning five accolades both in the individual medley the freestyle events. His absence from Turkey therefore makes Chad le Clos Africa’s favourite chances of a medal. The Olympic champ will try to better his 2010 performance in Dubai where he made it to the podium just once ― when he finished first in the 200m Butterfly event.
Apart from the Southern African big guns, the continent has almost no other weapon with which to wage the medal war. The Kenyan brothers, Jason and David Dunford, specialists in the butterfly and freestyle events respectively, may survive a few finals and make it to the podium if they keep up their fighting spirits and weather the storm as they face a very stiff competition from the European, American and Chinese camps. Tunisia, on their part, another super power of the continent will make the Turkey trip without their medal collector, the 10km miracle worker, Oussama Melloui. They however will invest all their hopes on Ahmed Mathlouthi and Taki Mrabet, the only two Tunisians who could qualify for the championship. For the rest of the African countries like Algeria, Morocco and Egypt, they each have a swimmer at the competition. Meanwhile Madagascar will send three young swimmers, Estellah Fils Rabetsara, Domonia Navalona Ambaoratiana and Anthony TsitrakaRalefy, who, it is believed, are going in to gain some experience.
South African team
Men: Miles Brown, Chad le Clos, Michael Meyer, Darren Murray, LeithShankland, Garth Tune, GiulioZorzi.
Women: Jessica Ashley-Cooper, Marne Erasmus, Lehesta Kemp, Amanda Loots, TrudiMaree, Vanessa Mohr, Jessica Pengelly, Kyna Pereira, Karin Prinsloo, Megan Stephens, Rene Warnes, Michelle Weber.
Africans who have won the world championship title from 1993 to 2010: Chad le Clos, South Africa, 200 m butterfly; Cameron van der Burgh, South Africa, 100 m breaststroke; Oussama Mellouli, Tunisia, 1500m 2008: Kristy Coventry, Zimbabwe, 100 m and 200 m backstroke, 200 m and 400 m medley; Suzaanva, Biljon, 200 m breaststroke. 2006 : Rick Neethling, South Africa, 100 m freestyle, 200 m freestyle, 100 m medley. 2004: Oussama Mellouli, Tunisia, 400 m medley. 2000 : Sara Poewe, South Africa, 50 m and 100 m breastroke.
About The Author
