Swimmers gain experience at SA Open Water Champs 

A Namibian team of nine swimmers competed at the South African National Open Water Championships in Jeffreys Bay last weekend, and although no medals were won, a lot of experience was gained.

“While medals weren’t the story this time, the real victory was the courage, resilience, and experience gained on the international stage. The swimmers demonstrated remarkable courage and determination in a highly competitive field,” the Namibia Aquatics Sport Federation (Nasfed) says in a statement released yesterday.

“The championships brought together some of South Africa’s most talented open water swimmers, and our athletes had to contend not only with this strong opposition but also with very tough race conditions.

“Rising waves and challenging currents made the final 3km knockout rounds particularly demanding, yet our team showed grit and resilience by pushing through and completing their races,” it says.

“Their performances reflect the growing strength of Namibian open water swimming and the commitment of our athletes to test themselves against international standards. Participation at this level is invaluable experience, and we commend each swimmer for representing Nasfed with pride and perseverance,” it says.

Madison Bergh was Namibia’s most successful swimmer, finishing fourth in the women’s 17-to-18-year-old 5 000m freestyle and fifth in the 16-17-year-old 7 500m freestyle.

In the latter event, Candice Rey came seventh, while she also came eighth in the 14-16-year-old 5 000m freestyle.

Several other swimmers achieved top ten places.

Carissa Steyn came fifth in the women’s 3 000m freestyle 19 and over, Lara Steyn came sixth in the women’s 17-18-year-old 3 000m, and Zafari Zeidler came ninth in the women’s 15-16-year-old 3 000m freestyle.

Jiao Naan came eighth in the men’s 16-17 year 7 500m, while he also formed part of the mixed 6 000m free relay team that came seventh in the open category. The other members were Bergh, Carissa Steyn and Tristan Nell.

In the men’s 17-18 3 000m freestyle Tristan Nell came ninth while Alex Marggraff came tenth.

Nasfed thanked head coach Jörn Diekmann, team manager Riaan Steyn, and officials Marnie Bergh, David Nell, and Wollen Nell for their dedication and support to ensure that the team was well-prepared and cared for throughout the tour.

“Their guidance and encouragement played a vital role in helping our athletes face the challenges of the competition,” Nasfed says.

“We look forward to building on this experience as we continue to develop open water swimming in Namibia, preparing our athletes for future opportunities to shine on the international stage,” it says.

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