Namibia Dominates XXI Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships with 83 Medals

Namibia Dominates XXI Africa Aquatics Zone IV Championships with 83 Medals. Team Namibia concluded the XXI Africa Aquatics Zone IV Swimming and Open Water Championships with a remarkable haul of 83 medals, securing its third consecutive swimming title and finishing second in the open water category. The four-day championships ran from 3–7 September 2025, featuring pool events from 3–6 September and open water competitions on 7 September.

A squad of 23 Namibian athletes, led by Coach Adriaan Maritz and Team Managers Tarryn McNamara and Zimone Maritz, competed against teams from 12 countries, delivering standout performances across all events.

In the pool, Namibia celebrated several highlights. The 4x100m freestyle relay team, consisting of Nathan Bock, Rodney Feris, Corne Le Roux, and Oliver Durand, claimed gold in a closely contested race against South Africa. Oliver Durand also excelled individually, breaking multiple championship records and earning the Victor Ludorum trophy in the Men’s 17–19 category. In the Girls 13–14 division, Vitoria De Sousa set several records before a shoulder injury prevented her from completing her final events.

Open water competitions also brought strong results. Namibia finished second overall, with notable performances including Nico Esslinger (Men’s 5km 19 & over) – Gold, Oliver Durand (Men’s 16–18 5km) – Gold, and Scarlett McNamara (Girls 13 1km) – Gold. Other medalists included Arkell Wellman, Tristan Nell, Riley Bergh, Brynne Kinnaird, and Nora Schlabitz.

The team’s performance underscores Namibia’s growing strength in aquatics on the continental stage, demonstrating the athletes’ skill, preparation, and resilience in both pool and open water disciplines.