Muzito's Triple Triumph in Riyadh

  Key information: Although he was the second seed, Muzito set a national record (NR) of 55.26, starting with a split of 26.37, se...

 

Key information:

Although he was the second seed, Muzito set a national record (NR) of 55.26, starting with a split of 26.37, securing gold by defeating top qualifier Gizem Guvenc (55.47) from Turkey and Oumy Diop from Senegal, who finished with 57.48.

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Ugandan swimmer Gloria Anna Muzito increased her gold medal tally from the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday evening.

Although he was the second seed, Muzito set a national record (NR) of 55.26, starting with a split of 26.37, and secured the gold medal, beating the top qualifier Gizem Guvenc (55.47) from Turkey and Oumy Diop from Senegal, who finished with 57.48.

Approximately 45 minutes later, Muzito secured a silver medal in the 200m freestyle with a new record time of 2:04.99, coming behind Turkey's Ecem Donmez Ogretir, who swam a time of 2:03.89. The 22-year-old athlete, whose name Muzito means "heavy" in Luganda, is clearly "heavy with medals."

In the 200m, she recorded a time of 30.24 in the initial 50m, followed by 32.16 in the next 50m, then increased to 31.81 in the third 50m, and finished with a sprint of 30.78 to claim silver. Notably, her final split was quicker than Ogretir's 30.81, although the Turkish swimmer had already secured her opportunity through strong intermediate splits.

It's remarkable how Muzito has managed to secure medals in all her individual events despite the stress of competing in heats, semifinals, and finals. At the same time, she has also been a standout performer in the relays.

Following her victory in the women's 50m freestyle on Sunday, Muzito returned to the pool on Monday evening to compete for individual success in the women's 100m free, finishing with a time of 57.29 seconds, including a 26.98 split in the first half to lead the second semifinals.

Team performance

Her teammate Tara Naluwoza Kisawuzi participated in the first semi but placed 6th with a time of 1:01.97, featuring a 29.31 split in the initial lap, thus failing to qualify for the final.

On Monday morning, the team competed in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. During the preliminary heats, Kisawuzi started with the backstroke leg, swimming a time of 1:15.51, then passed the baton to male swimmers Tendo Mukalazi and Jesse Ssengonzi, who recorded 1:10.21 in the breaststroke and 54.86 in the butterfly leg respectively. Muzito concluded the race with a 55.71 in the freestyle, resulting in a total time of 4:16.29, placing them second in their heat, just behind Turkey's time of 4:09.61.

In the Monday evening final, the order remained unchanged, but Kisawuzi improved her time to 1:14.07, Mukalazi to 1:09.16, and Ssengonzi to 53.54, enabling Muzito, who appeared slightly tired during the session, to finish with a time of 56.14. The total time came to 4:12.91, placing them 6th overall.

Mukalazi also competed in the men's 100m freestyle on Monday morning, recording a time of 53.99 seconds with a first split of 25.84.

Ssengonzi to close

On Tuesday, prior to receiving her two medals, Muzito completed her responsibilities in the 200m freestyle heats in the morning. She recorded splits of 30.51, 33.18, 33.25, and 32.03 over each 50m to finish third in her heat and as the fourth fastest qualifier. The times she achieved in the finals highlight just how remarkable her progress was on the way to winning silver.

Meanwhile, Mukalazi competed in the men's 50m breaststroke heats on Tuesday, recording a time of 31.16.

Jesse Ssengonzi reached the finals of the 100m butterfly, which took place on Wednesday night. Initially, he swam a time of 54.87 in the heats on Tuesday, with a first split of 26.00. In the semifinals, he improved upon his previous national record of 53.32, set in August at the World Championships in Singapore, by swimming a time of 53.30, featuring an opening split of 24.82, securing his spot in the final as the second qualifier behind Uzbekistan's Eldorbek Usmonov (52.92).

       

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