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Brandon Moyo, Sports Reporter

ZIMBABWEAN swimmers have returned home from South Africa where they were participating at the National Junior Championships which were held at Kings Park Swimming Pool in Durban.

The five-day tournament ended on Saturday and Zimbabwean swimmers arrived back in the country yesterday. The team was coached by Bulawayo Amateur Swimming Association (BASA) chairperson Phawulani Ngwenya.

“They are back home, our SANJ swimmers. Thank you to Manager Stacy Bhana and Coach Phawulani Ngwenya for taking good care of this big team and well done once more for raising the Zimbabwe flag high,” posted Swimming Zimbabwe on their Facebook.

Zimbabwean swimmers, short of medals however, continued with their impressive run in the water as they were setting new best times as the youngsters finished on a positive note.

In the final session of the championship, Anje Van As set a new personal best time of 1.06.87 from 1.07.13 for sixth position in the 100-metre butterfly while in the 200-metre breaststroke, Tawanda Jani in fourth place moved up from a time of 2.34.57 to 2.36.27.

Olivia Arccosi and Charlotte Martell also set new personal best times in the 50-metre backstroke. Arccosi moved to 32.14 from 32.28 for eighth position while Martell was 38 seconds quicker as she set a new best of 32.33 from 32.71 for seventh position.

Sibusiso Fayayo made the first alternate in the 100-metre butterfly finals after a swim off. Matida Musere was the second alternate. Once the finalists are decided in a preliminary or finals meet, the swimmers with the next two fastest times are considered alternates and if a finalist can’t participate, the alternates are called to take their place.

The Zimbabwean team at the championship was made up of 22-members and the team, for both male and females, was dominated by swimmers from Harare and Bulawayo. – @brandon_malvin