Dunford records sink in Aga Khan Academy

Four national records held by Kenyan Olympians, David and Jason Dunford, fell on the second day of the CASA Inter Clubs Swimming Championship in the Aga Khan Academy in Mombasa on Saturday.

Fifteen-year-old Tory Pragassa of Bandari Swimming Club emerged as the day’s star swimmer when he set five new national records as his club mate, Hamdan Bayusuf, and Mombasa Aquatics’ Karan Khagram each broke one record.

Pragassa opened the day setting new junior and boys’ 14-15 years 200 metres freestyle record when he returned two minutes 6.50 seconds, beating David Dunford’s previous time of 2:06.55.

David has been holding the record he set in Swindon, England, since March 13, 2004.

A few minutes later, the Bandari swimmer broke Jason’s boys 10-11 years 50m backstroke record time of 35.81 which Jason set at the Coast Academy on February 21, 1998, when he swam 35.83.

Pragassa added two other junior and boys’ 14-15 years 200 individual medley by clocking 2:20.19, shattering the old record time of 2:23.20 which former holder, Kim Jin Woo established at the Coast Academy on October 4, 1998.

Hamdan Bayusuf set a new national all comers record in the 50m backstroke after returning 27.59 to beat his previous record time of 28.25.

Karan Khangram of Mombasa Aquatics broke Jason Dunford’s  boys 10-11 years 100m backstroke event in a new time of 1:17.69. Jason’s old time set on March 8,1998 was 1:19.11.

The other new national record came in the 10-11 years 200m freestyle relay where Bandari SC team of Danilo Rosafio, Ridhwan Abubakar, Flavio Fontana and Nobby Obuya clocked 2:11.14, shattering their own previous time of 2:12.64.

The three-day championship, which was to end on Sunday, is the last on the Coast Amateur Swimming Association (CASA) calendar.