Youngsters put Kenya on top

• Some seven national records tumble as young team hauls in medals and points

It’s been a fantastic week for Kenyan swimmers, one that will rate as among the country’s sporting highlights for 2010.

Seven national records fell by the end of the three-day Africa Zone Three and Four Swimming Championships at the Kasarani Aquatic Complex.

By the time of going to press the hosts were topping the scoreboard with 2,809 points, ahead of Zimbabwe (2,396) and Botswana (2,121).

Already, Kenya had accumulated 68 medals – 28 gold, 18 silver and 22 bronze – to be second in the medal count. Mauritius were however leading with 33 gold, 12 silver and 16 bronze while Zimbabwe lay third (25, 23, 22).

Kanyali Ilako lowered the girls’ 50m breaststroke record of 40.05 seconds she set three years ago with a new time of 39.75, while Graham Walker eclipsed the previous boy’s 400m record of 5:04.03 set in 2001. He returned 4:53.41.

But one of the top performers of the gala – taking into account all the contributions pooled by other swimmers – must be Micah Fernandez. This Grade Seven student at the Braeburn School in Nairobi had minimal problems at the turns and got his strokes right – and with it came three national records to his name.

He set new times in 200m Individual Medley, as well as 50m and 200m breaststroke events. In the boys’ 200m IM, the 12-year-old Fernandez turned first at the 50m mark and continued sprinting for home until he touched in first. His time of 2:55.71 was enough to erase Jason Dunford’s 2:57.40 set 12 years ago.

“What can I say man?” enthused Fernandez. “I’m so happy to have set a new time; more so, to break Jason’s [Dunford] record. It’s only through hard work that I have got this far.”

His compatriot, Danielle Awori, also swam her best time in girls’ Under-12 200m freestyle category, taking home the gold in 2:31.17. Bree Catterall of Zimbabwe finished second in 2:34.11 while Tanzania’s Gouri Kotecha (2:39.34) came third.

The home swimmers set a highly impressive show, far much better than last year’s where they won only two silver.

“Last year in South Africa we only managed two medals. But this time we have won over 30 medals,” remarked Fakhr Mansoor, the team’s manager. “The young swimmers really amazed us; we didn’t imagine they could post such positive results. We are just proud of the team.”

Mansoor had predicted before the championships that most of the records would come from the ‘older’ swimmers. As such, he must have been pleasantly surprised by the slew of ‘young’ individual marks that fell as well.

Jean Vyver of South Africa took an early lead in the boys’ 15-16 years 200m backstroke, swimming under the championship record pace in the front half of the race. But it was Mathieu Marquet (Mauritius) who came back on the second half to win in a Cana record 2:25.63.

Back-to-breast turn

In the race for second place, Vyverout touched Trevor Price (Zimbabwe) with a time of 2:26.93. Price (2:27.03) was third.