Thursday , November 7 2024

Iowa-based swimmer Athieno starts 2020 strongly

 

FILE PHOTO: Athieno (second right) with her team mates after the final of an Iowa event last year. She grabbed another 7 gold in an Iowa state age group competition at the weekend.

Best times | RESULT THIS WEEKEND

  • 50 butterfly 29.88
    50 yards freestyle 25.27  | 25.89
    100 yards freestyle 54.86 | 56.3
    200 yards freestyle ….  | 2:06.36 secs
    200 Yards Medley Relay….   | 2:03.22
  • 200 yards free relay ….   | 1:49.66

Iowa, USA | THE INDEPENDENT | Two weeks after US-based swimming prodigy Athieno Grace Wandera dominated her category with seven medals at the  short course age group USA championships hosted in Iowa, she continued her strong start to 2020 with another five-medal haul at the weekend.

She grabbed three individual gold in the 50 yards freestyle in 25.89 seconds, 100 yards freestyle in 55.56 seconds and in the 200 yards freestyle in 2:06.36 at the Iowa YMCA State Swim Meet in the US.

She then teamed up with her DSMY Marlins Travel Team colleagues to grab gold in the 200 yard freestyle Relay in 2:06.36 secs and the 200 Yard Medley Relay in 2:03.22 at the event in Marshalltown.

Watching swimming races in DesMoines Iowa at the weekend was Rio Olympics 2016 star Simone Manuel (middle). Simone made history by becoming the first African American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming in the 100 meter freestyle with a new Olympic record time of 52.70. (Right) Athieno who won five gold at the weekend in the Iowa .

Her times at the weekend fell short of her personal best times and her performance two weeks back, where she set new marks of 54:86 seconds in the 100 freestyle and 25.27 in the 50 yards freestyle.

She however still shows that she is a candidate to be added to Uganda’s list of candidates to feature in international events in the coming years, if her performance in the US state of Iowa is anything to go by.

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Athieno Grace Wandera was born in Iowa, Waukee U.S.A on March 31, 2007 to a sporting family.

Athieno’s parents were born and raised in Uganda and they were very competitive athletes throughout their youth.

Athieno’s dad is Dr. Apollo Wandera from Tororo who was a track and field star, and mum is Justine Grace Etima Wandera from Arua who was a star netballer.  Justine Grace Etima is daughter of former Commissioner General of Uganda Prisons Service (UPS) Joseph Etima (RIP) and is currently a doctoral candidate at Walden University USA.

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Two golds and Iowa race records for Athieno

 

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