Swimmers creating waves

125 swimmers competed in the second Bank Windhoek Long Course Gala
Rovaldo Kavanga
Rivaldo Kavanga





The second Bank Windhoek Long Course Gala took place on Friday, 5 November, and Saturday, 6 November, at the Olympia Swimming Pool in Windhoek. The event saw 125 swimmers take part in the competition, with a vast range of participants between the ages of seven 69 from four clubs - Aqua Swimming and Fitness Club, Dolphins Swimming Club, Marlins Aquatic Club and Phoenix Swimming Academy.

“It is great to see the youngsters coming up, starting their swimming careers, and that fitness is still a priority at 69,” said the Namibia Swimming Federation’s (NASFED) executive committee member, Nicky McNamara.

The event was hosted by NASFED.

“We are excited about the gala; our swimmers have been training hard. The water temperatures are still on the chillier side. However, our swimmers are acclimating to the changes from the indoor pool to outdoor well and should be able to give us their best,” McNamara said.

Phoenix swimmer Claire De Lange said after completing her heat, the only thing she could think about was how cold the water was.

Mikah Burger (17), a swimmer from Dolphins, managed to scoop first place with an overall 539 points. Arkell Wellmann from Dolphins followed closely with 527 points while Cameron-Jon Delie from Marlins came in third place with 526 points.

After swimming the 200 m freestyle, Burger said his swimming this time around did not go as planned as he is unfit. He added that this was brought about by the suspension of sports due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He added that he will use this to get better and to hopefully compete better in upcoming international competitions.

Top 10 rankings by points:

1. Burger, Mikah K (17) – Dolphins Swimming Club – 539 points

2. Wellmann, Arkell J (19) – Dolphins Swimming Club – 527 points

3. Delie, Cameron-Jon (18) – Marlins Aquatic Club – 526 points

4. Engelhard, Lisa (16) – Dolphins Swimming Club – 523 points

5. Wellmann, Arkell J (19) - Dolphins Swimming Club – 523 points

6. Engelhard, Robin (14) - Dolphins Swimming Club – 520 points

7. Durand, Oliver B (14) - Dolphins Swimming Club – 508 points

8. Engelhard, Lisa (16) - Dolphins Swimming Club – 501 points

9. Burger, Mikah K (17) - Dolphins Swimming Club – 501 points

10. Humphrey, Jessica (13) - Aqua Swimming and Fitness Club – 497 points