Day 4 in Cairo: A Day of records, medals and momentum Day 4 of the Africa Aquatics Junior Championships at the Cairo Stadium pool brought cool winds and even cooler performances from Team Namibia. It was a day filled with grit, pride, and a few unforgettable moments. Oliver Durand and Lorenzo Esterhuizen made it to the 400 individual medley final, where Durand (18) smashed the African Aquatics record in a time of 4:26.00. Lorenzo Esterhuizen (16) also produced a fine performance in this event to come sixth in a time of 4:48.68. Ariana Naukosho made it to the 200m breaststroke finals and finished in 7th place with a time of 2:54.63 Madison Bergh delivered a stunning performance in the 200 freestyle finals, finishing in 6th place in a time of 2:16.76. Lorenzo Esterhuizen returned in the 200m backstroke finals, delivering a spectacular swim, landing him in 6th place in a time of 2:13.77. The Namibian women’s 4x100m IM relay team from left: Madison Bergh, Roselinda Matyayi, Ariana Naukosho and Jessica Humphrey. Madison Bergh delivered a strong swim in the 400m freestyle, finishing 6th in 4:45.28. Both male and female relay teams brought some excitement in the finals, with the female relay team for the 4x100m IM, ensuring a podium place by coming third in a time of 4:36.18. The female team consisted of Madison Bergh, Jessica Humphrey, Roselinda Matyayi and Ariana Naukosho. The relay mens team consisting of Luke Beukes, Lorenzo Esterhuizen, Nathan Bock and Liam Kinnaird just missed out on a medal after finishing fourth in a time of 3:59.82. Namibia’s Day 4 Highlights: New Records: Oliver Durand – 400 IM – 4:26.00 (New Africa Aquatics Championship Record) Medals: Oliver Durand – 400 IM – Gold  Women’s 4x100m Individual Medley – Bronze  Namibia finished fourth overall at the Africa Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships. “The team will arrive back in Namibia on Monday afternoon, 5 May 2025 after proving not only to themselves but to the Namibian sporting fraternity as a whole that swimming as a sports code is worthy of recognition and respect,” the Namibia Swimming Federation said in a statement.  “Namibia Swimming is definitely ready for the Region 5 Youth Games that is scheduled from 5-8 July 2025. Swimming Namibia is moving from strength to strength and we are extremely proud of what Namibia aquatics have achieved in the past year,” it added.  The post Day 4 in Cairo: A Day of records, medals and momentum appeared first on The Namibian.

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Day 3 in Cairo: A Day of Records, Medals and Momentum Day 3 of the Africa Aquatics Junior Championships at the Cairo Stadium pool brought cool winds and even cooler performances from Team Namibia. It was a day filled with grit, pride and a few unforgettable moments. Oliver Durand was one of the day’s standouts, delivering a fantastic swim in the 200m butterfly. He finished with a bronze medal and a time of 2:04.76, which didn’t just get him on the podium—it broke a Namibian record that had stood for 21 years. A calm, powerful swim that marked a major milestone. Luke Beukes brought the heat in the 50m freestyle, placing 6th overall with a time of 23.71. That swim earned him a new Namibian age group record, showing just how much speed he’s building—and that he’s only getting faster. Jessica Humphrey continued her strong form with a bronze medal in the 200m backstroke, touching in 2:24.68. She later returned for the 50m butterfly final, where she finished 8th in 29.11, breaking the Namibian record in that sprint. A two-final day, with both a medal and a national mark. Madison Bergh delivered a strong swim in the 400m freestyle, finishing 6th in 4:45.28. Maja Brinkmann matched that 6th place finish in the 200m individual medley with a time of 2:30.85, putting together a balanced, controlled race. The youngest finalist of the day, Roselinda Matyayi (15), placed 8th in the 200m backstroke, finishing in 2:34.09. She also swam in two other events on Day 3, showing endurance and versatility that will only grow with time. To end the day, Namibia’s team of Durand, Beukes, Bergh and Humphrey came together for the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay. They swam a confident, cohesive race, finishing with a time of 3:48.16—good enough for a well-earned bronze medal to close out the day. Namibia’s Day 3 Highlights: Bronze Medals: Oliver Durand – 200m Butterfly – 2:04.76 (New Namibian Record) Jessica Humphrey – 200m Backstroke – 2:24.68 Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay – 3:48.16 (Oliver Durand, Luke Beukes, Madison Bergh, Jessica Humphrey) New Records: Oliver Durand – 200m Butterfly – 2:04.76 (Broke 21-year Namibian record) Luke Beukes – 50m Freestyle – 23.71 (New Namibian age group record) Jessica Humphrey – 50m Butterfly – 29.11 (New Namibian record) Finalists: Jessica Humphrey – 50m Butterfly – 8th, 29.11 Madison Bergh – 400m Freestyle – 6th, 4:45.28 Maja Brinkmann – 200m Individual Medley – 6th, 2:30.85 Roselinda Matyayi – 200m Backstroke – 8th, 2:34.09 The post Day 3 in Cairo: A Day of Records, Medals and Momentum appeared first on The Namibian.

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