Two golds and Iowa race records for Athieno

Athieno breaks Snow Globe Classic 100 and 50 freestyle records set by Davey Zoe last year

✳ Girls 11-12 50 Free 25.79 12/15/2019 Athieno Wandera – DSMY -IA
✳ Girls 11-12 100 Free 55.56 12/14/2019 Athieno Wandera – DSMY -IA

Iowa, USA | THE INDEPENDENT | With another incredible time of 25:79 seconds in the 50 freestyle event, US-based swimming prodigy Athieno Grace Wandera not only secured her second gold in the Snow Globe Classic final in Iowa, but also broke another meet record on Sunday.

Athieno’s time in Sunday’s 50 Yards freestyle final matched her previous best time, but eclipsed the meet record of 26:59 seconds set by Zoe Davey last year in the 12-year-olds category. The result makes her the 2nd best in the state of Iowa in her age category, and 114th in the USA – after only three years in the sport.

A day earlier, Athieno had set a new personal best of 55:56 in the 100 yard freestyle final for 12-year-olds, lowering by close to a whole second her previous best of 56:44 seconds as she stormed to gold in the Snow Globe Classic final.

The annual Snow Globe Classic hosted by Athieno’s DesMoines Iowa attracted over 600 competitors from five different states. The event is a preparation meet ahead of the 2020 Midwest All American Stars competition.

Other records

Athieno, 12,  recently bettered her 50 butterfly time by 0.07 seconds, after clocking 29.88 against a previous best of 29.95 seconds.

She already looks 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.

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.

VIDEO: 50 Y freestyle final

VIDEO: 100 Y freestyle final