Daniela Lindemeier was Namibia’s star swimmer at the CANA Zone 4 Invitational Swimming Championships which took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from January 8 to 11. According to a press release by the Namibia Swimming Union, Lindemeier won a total of seven medals, which included five gold medals and a silver and bronze medal.
Lindemeier dominated the breaststroke events, winning gold in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke events, while she also won gold medals in the 200m Individual Medley and 200m butterfly. She won a silver medal in the 100m butterfly and a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly event.
Namibia’s only other medallist at the Championships was Boris Kulikowski who won a silver medal in the 200m breaststroke event for boys.
A total of 298 swimmers from 13 African countries participated at the event, which has grown steadily over the years. In the past it was mainly limited to southern African countries, but this year countries from central and eastern Africa, like Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and even India, also participated in the event.
The participating countries at this year’s event were Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Swaziland, Kenya, India, Uganda, Angola, Tanzania, Namibia and the host, South Africa.
The competition was won by South Africa, followed by Zimbabwe and Zambia, while Namibia came ninth overall.
Namibia had a small team of only seven swimmers, consisting of Christiaan Lampbrecht, Lushano Lampbrecht, Jano Coetzee, Boris Kulikowski, Anna Meaden-Torbitt, Frederike Schalken and Daniela Lindemeier.
Christiaan Lampbrecht, Lushano Lampbrecht, Jano Coetzee, Anna Meaden-Torbitt and Frederike Schalken may not have won any medals, but gave their best and swam Personal Best Times in some of the events.
Cana Zone 4 will be hosted by Kenya in Nairobi in 2010. At the Cana Zone 4 meeting, it was decided that from next year, two new age group categories for Masters swimming will be added – for Masters between the ages of 24 and 39 and for Masters over 40 years. They will also start to promote Open Water Swimming which will be brought into the program.