Meet Records by Ali Khalafalla, Farida Osman Cap African Games

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Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant

Meet Records by Ali Khalafalla, Farida Osman Cap African Games

Meet records in the men’s and women’s 50 freestyle events by Egyptians Farida Osman and Ali Khalafalla on the final day highlighted the African Games in Ghana this week.

Osman won her eighth medal and fourth gold in the 50, with a time of 24.72 seconds. It’s just a tenth off her national record from 2017 and an Olympic B cut for the Paris Games.

Khalafalla, vying for his third Olympics, went 22.02, within .08 of his national mark. His time is likewise a B cut.

Those times were among seven meet records and three Olympic B cuts set in the Olympic qualifier in Accra. The other B cut went to Clayton Jimmie of South Africa, who won the 100 freestyle in 46.29, which sets him up nicely for his nation’s qualification meet.

South Africa won 17 goals and 46 total medals to tip Egypt by one gold and 11 total medals. Algeria was second with seven golds and 23 total medals, the only other country with multiple golds or double-digit medals.

African Games Results

African Games Medal Standings

Medal Standings (g-s-b—t)
South Africa 17-16-13—46
Egypt 16-15-4—35
Algeria 7-6-10—23
Namibia 1-2-2—5
Zimbabwe 1-1-2—4
Mauritius 1-0-0—1
Ghana 0-1-1—2
Senegal 0-0-3—3
Botswana 0-0-2—2
Zambia 0-0-2—2
Angola 0-0-1—1
Nigeria 0-0-1—1
Uganda 0-0-1—1

Osman led all women with eight total medals, four gold. She won the 50 fly in 26.02 seconds and the 100 fly in 58.81. Her split of 55.86 off the front helped Egypt get gold in the women’s 400 free relay. She had gone 55.62 to finish runner-up to Caitlin Ann De Lange in the 100 free. Osman, Lojine Hamed, Nadine Abdallah and Nour Elgendy set a meet record 3:48.47 in that relay.

Osman helped Egypt win silver in the mixed medley relay, the mixed 400 free relay and the women’s 400 medley relay.

Joining her on three relays was Elgendy, who won gold in the 200 fly in 2:15.12 to go with 100 fly and 200 individual medley silver. Hamed was part of the two free relays and won gold in the 200 free (2:03.63) and silver in each of the three longest freestyle events.

The top individual performer of the women’s meet was Catherine van Rensburg. The South African set a meet record in the 1,500 free in 16:47.61, one of five individual golds. She also won the 800 free in 8:50.78, the 400 free in 4:17.92 and the 400 IM in 4:56.13.

South Africa set four meet records. Two came via Simone Moll, from that bottomless wellspring of breaststrokers. She went 31.96 in heats, then 31.91 to win the final. Moll also won the 100 breast in 1:09.50 and added medley relay gold. Joining her on the latter was De Lange, who went 28.76 to set the 50 back record.

Tayla Jonker won three breaststroke silvers to go with two relay golds. Hannah Mouton took home silver in the 200 free and bronze in the 400 free to go with three relay golds, and Georgia Cecile Els won the 200 IM along with 100 breast silver and 200 breast bronze.

Algeria’s top female swimmer was Hamida Raina Nefsi, who edged the South Africans to gold in the 200 breast in 2:33.33. She also won bronze in the 100, bronze in the 200 IM and silver in the 400 IM.

Perhaps the result of the meet was turned in by Mauritius’ Anishta Teeluck. She went 2:17.71 to win the 200 back in a national record.

Khalafalla’s 50 free was the only meet record on the men’s side of the African Games. He also won the 50 fly in 23.93 and picked up silver in the mixed 400 free relay.

Egypt excelled on the men’s side. Marwan ElKamash won gold medals in the four freestyle events from 200 to 1,500, plus three relay medals, including gold in the 800 free. Abdalla Nasr added eight medals, among them gold in the 200 fly and 100 fly. He won bronze in the 100 free and the 200 fly gold in back-to-back events, plus silver in the 200 free and two relay golds.

The most medals mined came via Jaouad Syoud of Algeria with nine. He swept both individual medleys plus the 50 breast and 200 breast to go with silver in the 100 breast. He added four relay bronze medals.

South Africa’s only men’s relay win came in the 400 free. Jimmie won the 100 free and finished second in the 50 free. Jarden Eaton paired silver in the 100 fly with bronze in the 50. Matthew Dale Caldwell won silvers in the 400 and 800 free plus 1,500 bronze. Andrew Ross earned silver in the 200 IM and bronze in the 200 free and 200 breast.

In the rare medals category, Namibia’s Ronan Wantenaar won the 100 breast in 1:01.86 to go with 200 breast silver. Zimbabwe’s Denilson Cyprianos (2:01.96) edged Abdella Ardjoune of Algeria in the 200 back. Ghana’s two swimming medals came via Jackson Abeku Gyekye, who took silver in the 50 fly and bronze in the 100 fly.

The 50 back was a tie between Ardjoune and Jonah Pool-Jones of South Africa, both in 25.85. Ardjoune also won the 100 back over Cyprianos in 55.94. Adrian Robinson scored bronze medals for Botswana in the 50 and 100 breast. Namibia’s Alexander Skinner was third in the 50 free and second in the 100 free.

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