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Doha 2024, Africa Recap Day 7: Osman adds 3rd Bronze in 50 Fly, 7th Straight Finals Showing

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By Mark Wild on SwimSwam

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Showing off remarkable consistency, Egyptian sprinter Farida Osman, by virtue of her 25.80 in the semifinals of yesterday’s 50 butterfly, made her 7th straight final in the event.  While Sarah Sjostrom won the event again, her 6th time doing so, Osman is still one up on her in terms of the number of consecutive final appearances. Osman, the African record holder in the event, is still one short of Federica Pellegrini‘s record of eight straight finals appearances (finalling in the 200 freestyle from 2005 to 2019.

Let’s not let that achievement overshadow Osman’s bronze medal-winning performance, however. Competing against the greatest sprint flyer of any generation, Sjostrom, 2022 silver medalist Melanie Henique, and recent gold medalist in the 100 fly, Angelina Kohler, Osman held her own and swam her way to a bronze medal. Her time, 25.67, was just .05 off her time from last year (25.62 earned 4th in Fukuoka). Speaking about the medal, Osman stated,

I’m honestly very proud to be in the final. I have three bronze medals. To be the first and the only Egyptian to have bronze medals, this is something that honestly makes me happy. Any swimmer wants to win a medal, for themselves, for Egypt, for all the Arab countries. That has been the goal for a long time. The fact that I can achieve it more than once that’s something that makes me very happy. It’s always hard not to think ahead – like all athletes are very competitive. We always want to win the gold but it’s definitely the goal. I always try to focus on my race plan and execute the best I can.

 

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WOMEN’S 50 BUTTERFLY — FINAL

Final:

  1. Sarah Sjostrom (SWE) — 24.63
  2. Melanie Henique (FRA) — 25.44
  3. Farida Osman (EGY) — 25.67
  4. Erin Gallagher (RSA) — 25.69
  5. Angelina Kohler (GER) — 25.71
  6. Alexandria Perkins (AUS) — 25.85
  7. Anna Ntountounaki (GRE) — 25.89
  8. Brianna Throssell (AUS) — 25.96

Osman, who swam collegiately for the Cal Bears and was the 100-fly NCAA champion at the 2017 Champs, has never placed lower than 7th in the event, and that only occurred in her first appearance back in 2013. Osman’s appearance this year was also noteworthy for the fact that it was the first time that another swimmer from Africa appeared in the final with her.

Finishing just .02 behind and finishing in a heart-breaking 4th place was Erin Gallagher. The South African broke the 100-fly national and continental record just a few days ago, setting a new mark of 57.59 during the preliminary session. Gallagher, whose personal best of 25.66  was set at the 2024 World University Games, nearly matched that time but will have some work cut out for her to match Osman’s Continental record of 25.38 set at the 2022 Worlds, but regardless has had a great meet making the finals of a long course Worlds for the first time.

Osman and Gallagher’s appearance together marks the first time two swimmers from the continent were in the same final since Tatjana Schoenmaker and Kaylene Corbett did so in 2019 for the 200 breaststroke.

Other Storylines

  • Gallagher’s teammate Lara Van Niekerk safely qualified for the final of the 50 breast by virtue of her 30.56, which was good for 6th. Niekerk, the 2022 bronze medalist, placed 4th last year in a time of 30.09 but only made it out of the prelims due to a timely scratch by teammate Schoenmaker.
  • Fresh off last night’s herculean effort to win the bronze medal in the 200 back, South African Pieter Coetze enters tomorrow’s 50 back final tied for 3rd with Poland’s Ksawery Masiuk.
  • Gloria Anna Muzito, representing Uganda has had a very successful meet so far. She equaled the national record in the 50 free, lowered the 100 free records, and was part of this morning’s Mixed 4×100 free relay, which hit a new national mark as well. Muzito, who swims collegiately for Florida State, previously represented Sweeden, notably swimming at the 2016 European Juniors meet.

NATIONAL/CONTINENTAL RECORDS THROUGH DAY 6:

  • Botswana
    • Adrian Robinson: Men’s 50 Breast – 28.60
  • Kenya
    • Ridhwan Mohamed: Men’s 400 Free – 4:06.44
    • Maria Brunlehner: Women’s 50 Free – 26.12
    • Mixed 4×100 Free Relay – 3:42.28
  • Namibia
    • Ronan Wantenaar: Men’s 50 Breast – 27.81
  • Senegal
    • Matthieu Seye: Men’s 100 Free – 51.41
  • South Africa
  • Uganda
    • Jesse Ssuubi Ssengonzi: Men’s 50 Fly – 24.41
    • Gloria Anna Muzito: Women’s 100 Free – 56.55
    • Gloria Anna Muzito: Women’s 50 Free – 26.01
    • Mixed 4×100 Free Relay – 3:40.35

Medal Table (Africa) Through Day 6:

RANK NATION GOLD SILVER BRONZE TOTAL
1 South Africa 1 1
=1 Egypt 1 1

SwimSwam: Doha 2024, Africa Recap Day 7: Osman adds 3rd Bronze in 50 Fly, 7th Straight Finals Showing

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