Prime
Mukalazi, Namutebi end 2021 on a high
Ugandan swimmer Tendo Mukalazi (left) and his sister Kirabo Namutebi (right) shook off Christmas turkey to end the year with new short course (25m pool) national records from the December 27-28 Vladmir Salnikov Cup in St. Petersburg - Russia.
Ugandan swimmer Tendo Mukalazi and his sister Kirabo Namutebi shook off Christmas turkey to end the year with new short course (25m pool) national records from the December 27-28 Vladmir Salnikov Cup in St. Petersburg - Russia.
The siblings are based in Kazan on a year-long Fina scholarship that ends April 2022 and have had a brilliant 2021 swimming in local, continental and international events.
While at it they have been making and lowering national records at every meet.
However, over a week ago, they seemed to be hitting the ceiling for the year when they swum with teammates Jesse Ssengonzi and Avice Meya at the World Championships in Abu Dhabi.
Their mixed performance at the Worlds seemed to have only inspired them to end the year on a high.
Mukalazi has now lowered the men's 50m freestyle national record to 22.99.
He was the first male to swim under 24 seconds and his record was standing at 23.10 made at the Fina World Cup in Kazan last month.
His performance inspired Adnan Kabuye and Joshua Lumonya to also go under 24:00 at the Cana Zone III Swimming Championships in Bukoto earlier this month.
Mukalazi, 19, has now gone under 23 seconds to turn on the pressure for everyone in the new year.
"I feel good (about the performances) and I am now looking forward for what's to come," Mukalazi who also got a national record in the 50m backstroke (27.31) and a personal best 25.58 in the 50m butterfly said.
Namutebi, 16, lowered her own 50m breaststroke and butterfly records to 33.20 and 29.00 respectively.
Vladmir Salnikov Cup
Results (25m) from Saint Petersburg
Tendo Mukalazi
50m freestyle: 22.99 (NR)
50m butterfly: 25.58 (PB)
50m backstroke: 27.31 (NR)
50m breaststroke: 29.41
Kirabo Namutebi
50m freestyle: 26.43
50m butterfly: 29.00 (NR)
50m breaststroke: 33.20 (NR)
