Staff Reporter

WINDHOEK - The final instalment of the Bank Windhoek Long Course Gala for the year will take place this coming weekend at the Western Suburbs Municipal Pool in Windhoek. The event will see contestants from Aqua Swimming Club, Dolphins Swimming Club, Marlins and Phoenix, compete in 850 events.
Swakopmund and Oranjemund will simultaneously host their Long Course Gala in their respective towns, with results from all three events to be combined in the end to determine the final outcomes.  
With over 126 swimmers preparing for this weekend’s event, Bank Windhoek proudly looks back on a year where Namibia’s swimming was taken to new heights, not only locally, but internationally too.
In September, six Namibian swimmers competed in the 13th Confédération Africaine de Natation’s (Cana) Junior African Championships in Tunisia. Swimmers competed in age groups of 13 to 14 and 15 to 16.
The team comprised four female and two male swimmers, namely, Mikah Burger, Hannah Murphy, Trisha Mutumbulua, Jose Canjulo, Mackenzie Spath and Maya Stange. Canjulo broke eight Namibian records and was on the podium eight times as well.  
In August, Ronan Wantenaar, Heleni Stergiadis, Tiana Esslinger and Corne Le Roux, represented Namibia at the 7th Fédération Internationale de Natation (Fina) World Junior Swimming Championships in Hungary. At this prestigious event, Ronan Wantenaar managed to break five Namibian records.
“We also had a Masters Swimmer, 60 year-old Cheryl Young. She made it to the podium five times with two silvers and three bronze medals in the FINA World Masters Swimming Championships, held in Gwangju, South Korea in July. Young has also just returned from the Xterra World Champs in Hawaii where she was placed second in her age group,” said Namibian Swimming Union (Nasu) Executive Committee Member, Nicky McNamara, who added that swimming has been doing well over the years.
During the year, Nasu, as part of its community awareness programme held water safety talks and developed television animations that were aired on television locally.  
“The level of swimming is now world class. We are proud of our swimmers and grateful to all the clubs, committee members and parents that give of their time to make our events happen. Thanks to our sponsor, Bank Windhoek, who is instrumental in what we have been able to achieve,” concluded McNamara.