Namibian records tumble at SA Gala

NAMIBIAN swimmers bettered 12 national records at the SA Level 3 gala that was held in Port Elizabeth at Newton Park from March 16 – 20.

Zanre Oberholzer set a total of six records in the heats and finals in the women’s 13-14 age group, while Kiara Schatz established three new records in the women’s age 12 and under age category. JP Engelbrecht broke two records in the men’s 17-18 age group and Toni Roth set one new record in the women’s 13-14 competition.The Namibian team was managed and coached by Rentia Meyer. The SA Level 3 Age Group Gala – which featured 500 swimmers – serves as a qualifying competition for the South African Youth Olympic team in 2010, which in itself is an indication of the standard of the event. The prestigious event is held annually in South Africa and only accommodates the best age group swimmers. For this reason, the Level 3 Gala provides the standard by which Namibia’s promising swimming talent is measured against their African peers. ‘We are proud of the fact that our athlete count has gone up from five athletes in 2010 to 11 in 2012. Congratulations to the swimmers who had good results and [posted] many personal bests,’ said Namibian Swimming Union (NASU) Press Officer Letsie Nel.’NASU further acknowledges the contribution of each and every parent for their support and commitment towards the achievements of the swimmers,’ Nel said.