Kukundakwe in breaststroke dip
Kukundakwe is a trailblazer. PHOTO/COURTESY
What you need to know:
In the 100m breaststroke, Kukundakwe has been asked to post anywhere between one minute 26 seconds (1:26.00) or (1:29.00). For 100m fly, the target is to go down to 1:25 and then bring the 50m freestyle time down to between 31 and 33 seconds.
Para-swimmer Husnah Kukundakwe had a day to rest and reconfigure after delivering gold in pre-Paralympics traditions in Paris, France on Wednesday.
Kukundakwe was a keynote speaker at the Unesco’s International Disability Inclusion Conference but before that, she had also carried the Paralympics torch in its final tour before a colourful opening ceremony, where her three teammates' runners David Emong and Peace Oroma plus para-powerlighter Dennis Mbazira marched. The latter two carried Uganda's flag.
On the sidelines, Kukundakwe has also been campaigning to fill one of the six roles on the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletes’ Council. The IPC Athletes’ Council is a group of elected athlete representatives who act as the voice of the para-athletes community to the IPC.
However, all that will be put to a standstill on Friday as she competes in the SB8 class' women's 100m breaststroke. Kukundakwe qualified for the race with 1:29.32 from last year's Allianz Para Swimming World Championships in Manchester, England.
New training
Her coach Muzafaru Muwanguzi says they have set realistic targets to lower times but will be pleased if the 17 year old ends up qualifying for a final or getting into the medal brackets for any of her three races. The other two come next week on Thursday (50m freestyle) and Saturday (100m butterfly).
In the 100m breaststroke, Kukundakwe has been asked to post anywhere between one minute 26 seconds (1:26.00) or (1:29.00). For 100m fly, the target is to go down to 1:25 and then bring the 50m freestyle time down to between 31 and 33 seconds.
“We adopted a different training style that we are experimenting with. It is high intensity training, given the sprint nature of her events. We race a lot in the sets and wait to see if it will get the job done,” Muwanguzi said.
At a glance
Name: Husnah Kukundakwe
Date of birth: March 25, 2007
Club: Gators
Major events: Paralympics 2024 & 2020, World Para-swimming Championships, World Series, 2022, Commonwealth Games, 2022 Islamic Solidarity Games
Entry times for Paris
50m freestyle – 33.43
100m breaststroke –1:29.32
100m butterfly – 1:29.75
