Quartet to fly Kenya’s flag at World Aquatic Championships in Singapore

The global event is expected to feature nearly 2,500 elite athletes competing for top honors across various swimming disciplines.

The Kenyan contingent was selected following a highly competitive National Championship held at the Kasarani Aquatic Centre, which served as the official trials for the global meet.

The women’s team will be spearheaded by 18-year-old swimming sensation Sara Mose, who earned her spot after clocking impressive personal bests of 25.97 seconds in the 50m freestyle and 55.22 seconds in the 100m freestyle.

Joining her is Imara-Bella Thorpe, who returns to the world stage after competing in last year’s championship in Qatar, where she narrowly missed out on a semifinal slot.

At the national trials, Thorpe posted 27.96 seconds in the 50m freestyle and 1:01.55 in the 100m freestyle, securing her qualification once again.

The men's squad features Haniel Kudwoli, 19, who impressed in the breaststroke events. He booked his ticket to Singapore with times of 29.32 seconds in the 50m breaststroke and 1:05.89 in the 100m category.

He will be joined by Stephen Ndegwa, who clocked 25.55 seconds in the 50m butterfly, earning his place among the world’s best.

Former Kenya Defence Forces corporal and current Kenya Aquatics Media Liaison Officer, Nesmas Mbati, expressed optimism following the selection.

“We have talented swimmers like Sara Mose and Stephen Ndegwa achieving personal bests and even breaking meet records,” Mbati said.

“The standard of swimming in Kenya is rising, thanks to county-level championships that are helping nurture competition and talent development.”

Kenya will be hoping for a better showing in Singapore after failing to win a medal at last year’s edition of the World Aquatic Championships.

With this promising team, the country is aiming to make a statement on the global stage and bring home long-awaited honors.