Katumba pick of the lot as quartet bows out of China

Kampala. Selina Katumba capped Uganda’s respectable performance at the 14th Fina World Swimming Championships in Hangzhou - China with a personal best (PB) in the 50m freestyle.
Swimming in lane five of the 5th of 10 heats, she touched home at 28.42 to lower her 50m free PB for a third time this year and to record her second in Hangzhou after the 1:03.36 in the 100m free on Tuesday.
“This championship is a whole different level to what we are used to,” said the 15 year old debutant.
“It opened my eyes to new things and experiences but I also enjoyed it,” she added.
Earlier in the year, she managed 28.72 at the Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) National Club Championships in June then went 28.62 last month at the Silverfin Championship. She upheld the time at the GEMS Cambridge USF Sprints Gala a week later but the world stage needs new fires in the belly even for the best athletes.
“I am impressed because Selina has been sluggish a bit in her stroke but in the few days here, I’ve tried to sharpen it,” her coach Abel Ddamulira told Daily Monitor.

While Uganda could have done better as only Katumba recorded PBs among the four swimmers that represented the country, this was no disaster.
Avice Meya tried out the 100m individual medley that no female had ever done since Uganda started participating in 1997.
Her 1:12.97 was an immense improvement on the 1:20.65 that Anthea Mudanye managed in the 100m fly in Canada two years ago.
Despite returning 2:03.49 in 200m free, Fadhil will also now become a source of encouragement for any swimmer trying to venture into mid-distance races.

Best Ugandan
Fadhil has done 54.09 before in the 100m free and should have been chasing any 53. But his 54.36 in China is still the best performance by any Ugandan at national team level. So is his twin brother Nabil’s 25.00 in 50m free.
“This was overwhelmingly different from the African meets we have been to. Lots to learn in the way things like marshalling are done, the pressure.
But it prompts me and my brother to prepare better for future meets,” Fadhil said.

FEMALE REPRESENTATIVESFEMALE REPRE
Selina Katumba: 100m free (1:03.36)
50m free (28.42)
*Recorded personal bests (PBs) in both
events
Avice Meya: 100m IM (1:13.51)
100m fly (1:12.97)
MALE REPRESENTATIVES
Nabil Saleh: 50m free (25.00)
50m fly (27.54)
Fadhil Saleh: 200m free (2:03.49)
100 free (54.36)