2019 AFRICAN GAMES
- Wednesday, August 21 – Saturday, August 24th (pool swimming)
- Casablanca, Morocco
- LCM
- Schedule/Results
The 2019 African Games’ swimming competition kicked off on Wednesday, August 21st in Casablanca, Morocco, with 20-year-old Erin Gallagher not wasting any time making her mark on the competition.
On day 1, the South African clinched the women’s 100m freestyle title in a time of 55.13, establishing a new Games Record in the process. Although the time was well off her own personal best and South African National Record of 54.23, it was enough to hold off Egypt’s Farida Osman, who touched in 55.62.
Osman exacted revenge on Gallagher by taking the 50m fly title on day 2, however, in a time fo 25.94, a new Games Record.
Gallagher still put up a fight, clocking 26.24 for silver in that fast and furious event. With her 26.24 silver medal-worthy effort, Gallagher reclaimed the South African National Record in the event from teammate Tayla Lovemore.
Gallagher had held the 50m fly national standard in 26.30 clocked at the nation’s championships this past April. Lovemore, however, dropped it down to 26.25 en route to winning gold at this summer’s World University Games in Naples, Italy.
Gallagher’s time tonight of 26.24 slices just .01 off of Lovemore’s mark, so the cat and mouse game between the pair continues its narrow-margined back and forth.