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Paris Olympics: Maria Brunlehner takes deep dive in debut Games
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 03.08.24. | 11:20
The 24-year-old is making her first Olympics appearance after qualifying through the universality spots
Kenya’s Maria Brunlehner will on Saturday begin her debut Olympic Games when she takes part in the women’s 50m freestyle events scheduled to start at noon.
The 24-year-old, who made the cut for the Summer Games in June, is in Heat 7, and will hope to rank among the 16 fastest swimmers for a spot in the semifinals.
Maria Brunlehner🇰🇪
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) August 3, 2024
~We are so proud of her representing #TeamKenya on the international stage.
~Participated in women's 100m freestyle at the 2019 world aquatic championships.
~Represented #TeamKenya at the 2019 African games in Rabat and Morocco.#TeamKenya… pic.twitter.com/X2rFZPvtsq
Brunlehner earned her spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics through the World Aquatics Universality system, after clocking a national-best time of 26.12 seconds in Heat 11 of the Doha World Championships in February.
The previous national record stood at 26.14.
“I just want to do my best and see myself as a competitor, not compare myself with other swimmers,” Brunlehner, a student at Grand Canyon University in USA said ahead of the Olympics. “I’d like to hopefully get a best time and break the Kenyan record.”
In competing at the Olympics, Brunlehner views it as a dream come true and also a chance to represent her sister, , Sylvia Brunlehner, who competed for Kenya at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, and at three Commonwealth Games in 2010, 2014, and 2018.
Brunlehner, who is coached by Steve Schaffer, started her swimming journey aged eight, and made her debut for Kenya at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia.
There, she competed in two events - 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle - finishing in 16th and 17th respectively.
She has also taken part in the 2018 Africa Youth Games, 2019 World Aquatic Championships, and the 2019 African Games.












