Swimming: 50m free national record under threat
Could be in. John Kafumbe in a freestyle event at the Cana Zone III Championships last December. PHOTO/ MAKHTUM MUZIRANSA
What you need to know:
- Among today’s competitors, Mukalazi has the top four times in the 50m free and will be a good challenge for his Gators’ teammate Adnan Kabuye and Silverfin Academy’s Joshua Lumonya
All eyes will be on whether Tendo Mukalazi can be pushed to go under his 50m freestyle 22.99 seconds personal best and national record at some point as the Uganda Swimming Federation (USF) Club Championships climax today at Greenhill Academy, Kibuli.
Also his sister Kirabo Namutebi will attempt to go under her 25.84 she recorded at the Fina World Cup in Kazan, Russia last December. Mukalazi made 23.10 at the World Cup then broke it a few weeks later at the Vladmir Salnikov Cup in the same city.
Among today’s competitors, Mukalazi has the top four times in the 50m free and will be a good challenge for his Gators’ teammate Adnan Kabuye and Silverfin Academy’s Joshua Lumonya. The latter two had the honours of being the first swimmers to swim under 24 seconds in a competition held at home when they clocked 23.89 and 23.92 respectively during the Cana Zone III Championships at Kampala International School of Uganda (Kisu), Bukoto last December.
All swimmers have not had a chance to compete in a short course event since but could have at least four attempts to prove themselves today.
The real 50m free competition that should figuratively bring the roof down at Greenhill is after the lunch break.
But before that, all four could represent their clubs in a morning curtain raiser in the 4*50m mixed freestyle relay, where their coaches will pay attention to the splits.
Whoever struggles to convince in those two events could still ask their coaches to time their splits in the more lactic acid building 200m individual medley (IM) or in the more adrenaline filled 4*50m freestyle later in the afternoon.
More swimmers have these chances to better their best times and target their age group records too.
Top Short Course Times (seconds)
Men
Tendo Mukalazi – 22.99
(Vladmir Salnikov Cup, Russia)
Tendo Mukalazi – 23.10
(Fina World Cup, Russia)
Tendo Mukalazi – 23.56
(World Champs, Abu Dhabi)
Tendo Mukalazi – 23.81
(Fina Dev’t Centre, Russia)
Best times made at home
Adnan Kabuye – 23.89
(Cana Zone III, Kampala)
Joshua Lumonya – 23.92
(Cana Zone III, Kampala)
Women
Kirabo Namutebi - 25.84
(Fina World Cup, Russia)
Kirabo Namutebi – 26.13
(World Champs, Abu Dhabi)
