.jpg)
Maria Brunlehner, Ridhwan Mohamed secure universality spots for Paris 2024 Olympics
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 24.06.24. | 20:53
The duo sail through after record-breaking seasons in their respective events this year
Two Kenyan swimmers - Maria Brunlehner and Ridhwan Mohamed have booked their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after securing qualification for the available Universality spots.
World Aquatics (WA) Universality selection criteria are designed to ensure global representation at the Olympics allowing swimmers from countries with developing programs to compete at the highest level.
The duo, who have all shown their dominance this year, become the only set of swimmers to have made the Summer Games, which will have all aquatic events taking place at the Paris La Defense Arena from 27 July.
Brunlehner, a two-time gold medalist at the 2018 Africa Youth Games, earned her spot to the Olympics after her incredible accomplishments at this year’s Doha World Championships, where she went on to set the 50m freestyle national record worth 739 World Aquatic points.
The 24-year-old out of Grand Canyon University, clocked a time of 26.12 seconds in Heat 11, lowering the previous national record that stood at 26.14.
Already an experienced swimmer for the national team, qualification to the Olympics adds to her participation in the 2019 World Aquatic Championships and the 2019 African Games.
Ridhwan, on the other hand, earned his Universality spot thanks to a remarkable performance in the Golden Bear Meet in Zagreb this year, where he set a personal best time of 4:04.39 in the 400m freestyle.
The record time, which eclipsed his second season best of 4:05.65 set at the Vienna International Swimming Meet in May, saw his World Aquatic points rise to 730.
Reacting to the two qualifying, Kenya Aquatics Secretary General Collins Marigiri said: “Maria and Ridhwan have worked incredibly hard to reach this point. We believe they will represent us admirably and inspire many young swimmers back here home.”
The women’s 50m freestyle event at the Olympics takes place on 3 August, with the men’s 400m freestyle heats beginning on 27 July.
