2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS
- July 23 to 30, 2023
- Fukuoka, Japan
- Marine Messe Fukuoka
- LCM (50m)
- Meet Central
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Entry Book
- Live Results (Omega)
- Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
- Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
- Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
- Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
- Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
- Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap
While they may not have been the results he was looking for, just by competing at the meet, Roland Schoeman made history. At the age of 43, the South African sprinter became the oldest swimmer ever to compete at World Aquatics Championships.
Competing in the same city 22 years after he won bronze in the 50 freestyle at the 2001 World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Schoeman contested both the 50 butterfly and 50 free. In the fly event, he placed 44th in a time of 24.02, and in the 50 free, he swam to a tie for 50th in a time of 22.87.
To note: Schoeman served a one-year ban from 2019-2020 for testing positive for the banned substance GW501516. Schoeman was initially handed a four-year ban, but FINA reduced it to one year. You can read more about the ban and his statement regarding his claims of accidental ingestion here.
Schoeman holds personal bests of 21.67 in the 50 free, twice hitting that mark: once at the 2008 Olympics and again at the 2013 World Championships. His 50 free time stands as a continental record, as is his 50 fly time of 22.90. The 50 fly time stood as a world record from 2005 to 2009, when in the super-suit era, it was broken by Spain’s Rafael Munoz.
The second oldest swimmer at the meet is also African. Marc Dansou of Benin is 39 years old and, like Schoeman, contested the 50 freestyle in addition to the 100 free. The 2020 Olympian finished 99th in the 100 free with a time of 55.43. In the 50 free, he finished in 89th, with a time of 25.16, which breaks his own national record of 25.29.
While Africa has the two oldest swimmers, the youngest swimmer at the meet is Meral Ayn Latheef of the Maldives. The 14-year-old swam the 200 fly in a time of 3:05.69 and the freestyle leg in the mixed medley 4×100 relay, recording a split of 1:10.14.
The youngest swimmer from Africa and the sixth-youngest at the meet is Ugandan Tara Ann Mary Naluwoza. Naluwoza, born in 2008, is also 14. One event after Schoeman and Dansou swam the 50 free, Naluwoza dove in for the 50 fly, finishing 44th overall in a time of 29.07, which was a shade over her personal best of 28.97 that she set at the World Junior Championships in 2022.
National/Continental Records Through Day 6:
- Benin
- Marc Dansou – men’s 50 free, 25.16
- Cameroon
- Giorgio Nguichie Kamseu Kamogne – men’s 50 fly, 29.93
- Hugo Nguiche – men’s 100 free, 1:03.00
- Cape Verde
- Jayla Pina – women’s 100 breast – 1:14.09
- Jayla Pina – women’s 200 breast – 2:41.75
- Djibouti
- Houmed Houssein – men’s 50 free – 26.76
- Egypt
- Abdelrahman Sameh – men’s 50 fly, 22.94
- Marwan Elkamash – men’s 800 fre, 7:46.55
- Youssef Ramadan – men’s 100 free, 48.77
- Guinea
- Fode Amara Camara – men’s 50 fly, 28.42
- Fode Amara Camara – men’s 50 breast, 33.42
- Mariama Toure – women’s 100 breast, 1:35.41
- Guinea-Bissau
- Pedro Rogery – men’s 100 free, 1:18.28
- Lesotho
- Refiloe Chopo – men’s 50 fly, 34.21
- Refiloe Chopo – men’s 50 free, 31.68
- Mauritius
- Anishta Teeluck – women’s 200 back, 2:18.63
- Namibia
- Xander Skinner – men’s 100 free, 50.00
- Xander Skinner – men’s 50 free, 22.78
- Nigeria
- Colins Obi Ebingha – men’s 50 free, 23.54
- Rwanda
- Cedrick Niyibizi – men’s 100 free, 55.87
- Cedrick Niyibuzi – men’s 50 free, 25.28
- Senegal
- Steven Aimable – men’s 100 fly, 53.98
- South Africa
- Rebecca Meder – women’s 200m IM, 2:10.95
- Sudan
- Rana Saadeldin – women’s 50 back, 36.32
- Rana Saadeldin – women’s 100 free, 1:08.38
- Ziyad Saleem – men’s 200 back, 2:00.52
- The Gambia
- Aminata Burrow – women’s 100 breast- 1:14.32
- Aminata Burrow – women’s 200 breast – 2:37.01
- Tunisia
- Ahmed Hafnaoui – men’s 400m free, 3:40.70 *African Record
- Uganda
- Tendo Mukalazi – men’s 100 free, 52.56
- Kirabo Namutebi – women’s 100 free, 59.50
- Zambia
- Mia Phiri – women’s 50 back, 30.17
- Zimbabwe
- Denilson Cyprianos – men’s 100 back, 57.29
- Liam Davis – men’s 200 breast, 2:18.45
- Denilson Cyprianos – men’s 200 back, 2:02.12
Medal Table (Africa) Through Day 6:
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| =1 | Tunisia | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| South Africa | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Calm down he takes all kinds of stuff and finished 50th.
I wonder if there is a correlation between deteriorating performance and no more doping…
The time of 22.90 is his personal record. However the time that stood as WR until Rafa Munoz beat (at the Spanish championships I think) was 22.96 recorde in 2005 in Montreal. 0.06 difference from what the article says I think
Did you write an Africa daily summary without mentioning the African gold medal today? Lol
It may come up in another article…Lol
I don’t doubt it will. But surely a daily summary about Africa warrants a mention of Africa’s only gold medal that day?
I’m assuming Qin’s WR will be mentioned in the Asia summary even though it has its own article too.
“It’s just paper” said the bank robber.
Funny to write a story about someone pushing the age limit in the sport without mentioning their doping ban and recent endorsement of an event where doping would be encouraged.