Local swimmers in top form for 2007

TOP performances and a number of national records were the order of the day at the Namibian Swimming Union gala hosted by Namib Swimming Academy (NSA) on Saturday.

Outstanding results were achieved by the 10-year old Zanre Oberholzer. She set new short-course record times in the 100 metres freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley events.She also broke the 100m fly record of Nicole Pienaar that was set on October 20.Oberholzer is in outstanding form at the moment and according to her coach, Ulrike Leitner at Namib Swimming Academy, much can be expected of her in the future.Another of Leitner’s top performers at the gala was Theo Visser, who set national records for the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke in the boys’ 9-10 age group.He has consistently improved his personal best times over the last couple of galas and is part of a group of very promising young swimmers coming through the ranks of the Namibia Swimming Union.Some of Namibia’s top age group and senior swimmers also did well at the gala.Tristan McDonald (NSA) swam an excellent time of 1.03.67 seconds in the 100 m backstroke and he is slowly building up to his best form again.He recently won the Namibia Mile Open Water Swimming event at the Friedenau Dam.Max Siedentopf (NSA) broke the 100m breaststroke record with an excellent time of 1.09.47 seconds.He is also the record holder in the 200m breaststroke.Byron Briedenhann, also from NSA, continued his excellent performance in the pool and broke the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley national records.He swam 1.02.40 and 2.16.61 seconds respectively for the two events and achieved over 600 FINA points in the 200m individual medley.He also broke the Namibian National Open records in both these events.The 200m individual medley was a hotly contested race as all 3 medal winners swam faster than the previous national open record of 2.18.43 seconds.Alex Ray from Marlins Swimming Club is also getting closer to his best form as he swam excellent personal best times and his time of 55.16 seconds for the 100m freestyle was just outside his national record of 54.45 seconds.Rory Buck from South Africa, who is a coach/swimmer at the Namib Swimming Academy, showed his class when he won the 100 m freestyle in 54.49 seconds.Jonay Briedenhann (NSA) swam the 200m individual medley in 2, 26.60 seconds which is well over 650 FINA points and once again qualified for the 9th FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England, during April 2008.This was the highest FINA points and the best performance achieved at the gala.The above swimmers are all coach by Ryan Skinner as part of an elite training group at the Namib Swimming Academy.The Namibia Swimming Union (NASU) is sending a NASU Invitational team of more than 70 swimmers to participate at the Northern Cape Aquatic Championships in Upington from the 1st to the 3rd of December 2007.A strong group of swimmers leave for Pretoria on Thursday to participate at the Northern Tigers Swimming Championships.Much is expected from the two teams, which include most of Namibia’s top swimmers.The Namibia Swimming Union is also taking part at the Sub-Sahara Zone 4 invitational training camp and gala in Malawi during the first week of January 2008.Ten swimmers will represent NASU at the gala.The next swimming competition is on Saturday, December 1 at the Marlins Short Course swimming pool.She set new short-course record times in the 100 metres freestyle, 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley events.She also broke the 100m fly record of Nicole Pienaar that was set on October 20.Oberholzer is in outstanding form at the moment and according to her coach, Ulrike Leitner at Namib Swimming Academy, much can be expected of her in the future.Another of Leitner’s top performers at the gala was Theo Visser, who set national records for the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke in the boys’ 9-10 age group.He has consistently improved his personal best times over the last couple of galas and is part of a group of very promising young swimmers coming through the ranks of the Namibia Swimming Union.Some of Namibia’s top age group and senior swimmers also did well at the gala.Tristan McDonald (NSA) swam an excellent time of 1.03.67 seconds in the 100 m backstroke and he is slowly building up to his best form again.He recently won the Namibia Mile Open Water Swimming event at the Friedenau Dam.Max Siedentopf (NSA) broke the 100m breaststroke record with an excellent time of 1.09.47 seconds.He is also the record holder in the 200m breaststroke.Byron Briedenhann, also from NSA, continued his excellent performance in the pool and broke the 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley national records.He swam 1.02.40 and 2.16.61 seconds respectively for the two events and achieved over 600 FINA points in the 200m individual medley.He also broke the Namibian National Open records in both these events. The 200m individual medley was a hotly contested race as all 3 medal winners swam faster than the previous national open record of 2.18.43 seconds.Alex Ray from Marlins Swimming Club is also getting closer to his best form as he swam excellent personal best times and his time of 55.16 seconds for the 100m freestyle was just outside his national record of 54.45 seconds.Rory Buck from South Africa, who is a coach/swimmer at the Namib Swimming Academy, showed his class when he won the 100 m freestyle in 54.49 seconds.Jonay Briedenhann (NSA) swam the 200m individual medley in 2, 26.60 seconds which is well over 650 FINA points and once again qualified for the 9th FINA Short Course World Championships in Manchester, England, during April 2008.This was the highest FINA points and the best performance achieved at the gala.The above swimmers are all coach by Ryan Skinner as part of an elite training group at the Namib Swimming Academy.The Namibia Swimming Union (NASU) is sending a NASU Invitational team of more than 70 swimmers to participate at the Northern Cape Aquatic Championships in Upington from the 1st to the 3rd of December 2007.A strong group of swimmers leave for Pretoria on Thursday to participate at the Northern Tigers Swimming Championships.Much is expected from the two teams, which include most of Namibia’s top swimmers.The Namibia Swimming Union is also taking part at the Sub-Sahara Zone 4 invitational training camp and gala in Malawi during the first week of January 2008.Ten swimmers will represent NASU at the gala.The next swimming competition is on Saturday, December 1 at the Marlins Short Course swimming pool.