Ugandan swimmers claimed East African bragging rights as they secured the top two podium slots at the Kenya Aquatics National Swimming Championships in Nairobi over the weekend.
The Age Group Long Course Swimming National Championships started on Thursday and ran until Sunday at the Kasarani Aquatic Stadium. The regional event attracted over 69 men’s and women’s teams from East and Southern Africa, including swimmers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, and Madagascar.
Uganda sent more than 100 athletes from various clubs, including Dolphins Swim Club Kampala, Aqua Akii Swim Club, Gators Swim Club, Otters Swim Club, Sailfish Swim Club, and Imara Aquatics, an investment that paid off handsomely.
Although defending champions Gators Swim Club finished 12th in the combined men’s and women’s medal count, Dolphins rose to the occasion to claim the top spot.
Dolphins managed 63 medals in total (28 gold, 20 silver, and 15 bronze). They were followed by Sailfish, who garnered 42 medals (19 gold, 12 silver, and 11 bronze). Rounding out the podium slots was Kenyan outfit Braeburn Swimming Club, who managed a remarkable 40 medals (19 gold, 11 silver, and 10 bronze) to give the home crowd something to cheer about.
The championship, which featured 48 clubs, was raced in a 50-meter pool using a heats-and-finals format across all major swimming disciplines and distances ranging from 50m to 1500m.
In the final point standings that determined the overall rankings of the teams, Dolphins secured top spot with 370 points, followed by Sailfish with 266.50 points, Braeburn with 160 points, and Gators with 133.50 points.
Dolphins also topped the women’s team scores with 144 points, followed by Braeburn with 85.50 points, and Sailfish in third position with 78 points.
In the men’s category, Sailfish dominated with 142 points, closely followed by Dolphins with 140 points. Gators claimed third place with 85.50 points, finishing 11 points ahead of Braeburn.
