Kaburu’s personal best was no factor

Aug 14, 2008

SWIMMER Gilbert Kaburu managed to swim out of the last position with a new personal best of 27.72 seconds despite bowing out of the Olympics at the preliminary stages of the 50m freestyle category.

By Norman Katende
in Beijing


Swimming
Men 50m freestyle
Heat 3

1. G. Stewart (ASA) 25.45
2. A. Hamza (PLE) 25.60
7. G. Kaburu (UGA) 27.72
Today
Swimming 50m freestyle

Aya Nakitanda at 1.30pm
Heat 3, Lane 5


SWIMMER Gilbert Kaburu managed to swim out of the last position with a new personal best of 27.72 seconds despite bowing out of the Olympics at the preliminary stages of the 50m freestyle category.

Kaburu, who had the poorest time in heat four, managed to beat Sudanese Adam Ahmed as he posted Uganda’s second fastest time at the National Aquatics Centre here yesterday evening. The time shaved 0.16 micro-seconds off the national record, set by Edgar Luberenga at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

“I am so happy with his performance. He was in a tough heat but managed to improve his time and also not to finish last. That is a great achievement in an individual sport,” his coach Peter Mugisha said after the run, which was preceded by a seven-hour drizzle in the Chinese city.

Kaburu finished 82nd out of 97 swimmers that started the race and was always realistic about his chances.
 Action today turns to swimmer Aya Nakitanda, who has kept a silent presence in the Games Village.

She is as understated as her dream of taking part in the Beijing Olympic Games, speaking only when it matters most and keeping most of what she would expect to herself.

“I just want to finish swimming and lead a normal life,” she says.

She will also compete in the 50m freestyle with the hope of winning her heat 3 though in international swimming competitions, it is not the heat winner but the best times in all the 12 heats that matter most in advancing. The times go on improving from the the first heat to heat 12.

“I came to compete and to do my best,” is all the Year Four Makerere University medical student could say when asked how she views competing in her maiden Olympic Games.

She will swim in the convenient lane five alongside Botswana’s Paxinos Samantha, who has the best time of 30.60 over the distance. Nakitanda’s personal best is 30.63 seconds.

“It is not a matter of time. I have a chance to do better in my heat because I have the second best time among all the other swimmers in my heat,” she says coyly.

But that aside, Nakitanda has the will to go out there and leave a legacy and she feels it in herself:

“I can do it,” she determinedly vowed.

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