Why do Namibian swimmers not qualify for the Olympics?

• By Michael Uugwanga

It is no secret that Namibia is home to some of Africa’s best young, talented swimmers, who have dominated the continent.

The question is: Why is Namibia struggling to have a swimmer at the Olympic Games? Are the swimmers that good?

This year at the All-Africa Games, the country’s swimmers won a total of five medals: one gold, two silver medals and three bronze medals, with Ronan Wantenaar winning the only gold in the men’s 100m breaststroke and a silver medal in the men’s 200m breaststroke, while Xander Skinner won a silver medal in the men’s 100m freestyle.

Not long ago, Wanternaar won a gold medal at the Singapore National Swimming Championship, just a few months before the Olympic Games.

Swimmers such as Oliver Durand and Morten Scheuermann have won numerous international medals, just like many other Namibian swimmers.

Despite all the efforts from Namibian swimmers at major international or continental competitions, swimming has not produced an Olympian swimmer since way back in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, when the country had two simmers at the Games, Monica Dahl and Jörg Lindemeier.

So far, only Open Water (marathon) swimmer Philip Seidler is now at his second successive Olympic Games in Paris, France.

This week, Confidente asked the Namibia Aquatic Sports Federation president, Riaan Steyn, to explain why the country is failing to have swimmers at the Olympics.

“The qualifying criteria for the Olympics are very stringent and change in line with international records. The IOC has two criteria: an Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT) qualifier and an Olympic Consideration Time (OCT) qualifier. National Olympic Committee (NOC) may enter a maximum of two qualified athletes in each event, but only if both have attained the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT).

One athlete per event can potentially enter if they meet the Olympic Consideration Time (OCT), or the total quota of 852 athletes has yet to be targeted. NOCs may also permit swimmers, regardless of time (one per gender), to be under a universal place if they do not attain standard entry times (OQT/OCT). As you will appreciate, the OQT are the most stringent time, followed by the OCT and then the Universality place,” said Steyn.

Ironically, it is the Namibia National Olympic Committee’s (NNOC) decision to decide which swimmer to represent the country.

Another challenge facing Namibian swimmers is the opportunity to partake regularly in major international competitions due to financial constraints, unlike other swimmers from neighbouring countries.

“The NNOC has always had a policy that we can only send OQT qualifiers. We currently have two top swimmers that were close to the OCT time; hence, this year and on appeal of NASFED, the NNOC has reduced their requirements to allow OCT times to be considered. Still, none of our swimmers, unfortunately, were able to attain the OCT times.

“Besides the fact that many of our fellow African countries also did not have OQT or OCT qualifiers and then did send universality swimmers, the NNOC decided against sending swimmers under the universality places,” said Steyn.