Commonwealth Games: Uganda swimmers rewrite national record books in Glasgow
On Friday, Uganda’s men’s 4x100 freestyle relay team of Jordan Ssamula, Tendo Mukalazi, Tendo Kawumi and Jesse Ssengonzi also set a new national record of 3:32.47 in the heats.
Tendo Kaumi (center) dives in action during the 4x100 mixed freestyle relay. Photo: courtesy Nicholas Bamulanzeki. (Courtesy photo)
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Uganda’s team of Tendo Kaumi, Jesse Ssengonzi, Gloria Muzito and Kirabo Namutebi set a new national record in the 4x100 mixed freestyle relay with a time of 3:37.11 at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The previous record of 3:40.35 was set by Ssengonzi, Tendo Mukalazi, Namutebi and Muzito at the 2024 World Championship in Doha.
Kaumi recorded a split of 51.14, a national record, while Ssengonzi posted 51.24, Muzito 55.69 and Namutebi 59.04. The team finished seventh overall out of 18 countries.
On Friday, Uganda’s men’s 4x100 freestyle relay team of Jordan Ssamula, Tendo Mukalazi, Tendo Kawumi and Jesse Ssengonzi also set a new national record of 3:32.47 in the heats.
Although they did not advance to the final, they finished sixth in heat two, missing qualification for the quarter-finals by 1.64 seconds and trailing Australia’s leading time of 3:14.53 by 17.94 seconds.
Kaumi also set a new national record in the 50m backstroke with a time of 27.01 in heat three but missed qualification for the round of 16 by 1.10 seconds.
Gloria Muzito (left) and Jesse Ssengonzi (right) share a light moment before the 4x100 mixed freestyle relay.
England’s Cameron Brooker won the heat in 25.07, with Australia’s Isaac Cooper, Scotland’s Scott Gibson, Northern Ireland’s Patrick Johnston and the Bahamas’ Lamar Taylor also advancing.
In the 50m butterfly, Kirabo Namutebi finished fourth in heat three with 29.12 and did not qualify. Namibia’s Jessica Olive Twapewa Humphrey won the heat in 27.97.
Belize’s Davia Richardson and Guernsey’s Molly Staples finished ahead of Namutebi but also did not advance.
In heat seven, Gloria Muzito swam 28.55, missing qualification by 29 microseconds. Australians Alex Perkins, New Zealand’s Zoe Pedersen and England’s Eva Okaro qualified from the heat.
Canada’s Kylie Masse, Bermuda’s Emma Harvey and Australia’s Lizzy Dekkers also advanced.
England’s Adam Ramsay-Peaty posted the fastest qualifying time of 59.46 in heat six, followed by Australia’s Sam Wilson in 59.56 from heat five.
In the 200m freestyle, Gloria Muzito finished seventh in heat four with 2:07.68, missing qualification by 48.93 seconds. Australia’s Pallister Lani, Miller Inez and England’s Leah Schlosshan advanced from this heat.
On Saturday, Kaumi qualified for the 50m freestyle round of 16 after winning heat six in 22.63, just 23 microseconds off his national record.
He advanced alongside Australia’s Flynn Southam, England’s Jacob Mills, Nigeria’s Abduljabar Aadama, Canada’s Antoine Sauve and the Bahamas’ Marvin Johnson from heat seven.
Additional qualifiers included Australia’s Jamie Jack, Fiji’s David Young, the Bahamas’ Taylor Lama, Mauritius’ Bradley Vicent and South Africa’s Guy Brooks from heat eight.
Tendo Mukalazi narrowly missed qualification in heat nine with 23.47, just 53 microseconds short.
Jordan Ssamula was disqualified in heat one of the 100m butterfly, while Jesse Ssengonzi qualified from heat four in 54.01.
England’s Edward Mildred led all qualifiers with 51.62.