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
Indiana University wouldn’t be the first thing that springs to mind when contemplating African distance freestylers, but maybe it should be. The two highest-placing African swimmers in the men’s 800 freestyle at the 2023 World Championships have both called Bloomington home.
The second seed heading into the final tomorrow evening is Tunisia’s Ahmed Hafnaoui, who is coming off of winning silver in the 400 free at the beginning of the competition. Hafnaoui swam 7:41.97 in the prelims of the 800 free to qualify second behind Australian Sam Short, the 400 free gold medalist, who clocked 7:40.90.
The 7:41.97 from Hafnaoui represents a new personal best by over eight seconds. While more than six seconds off Ous Mellouli’s African Record of 7:35.27 from the 2009 Rome World Championships, Hafnaoui has already erased Mellouli’s name from the record books with his 400 free performance.
Hafnaoui has been training with Indiana University during the 2022-23 season after announcing his intentions to attend the school back in September of 2021. Due to NCAA rules and regulations regarding academics, Hafnaoui was required to sit out this past NCAA season but was allowed to train with the team while taking classes.
Also, spending time on campus and in the pool at Indiana was Marwan Elkamash. The Egyptian native initially competed for South Carolina but transferred to Indiana for the 2016-2017 season. Elkamash placed 10th in the 800 free, an improvement from his 13th place last year. His time of 7:46.55 was less than a second off of Guilherme Costa’s 8th-place time of 7:45.80.
While not earning a second swim, Elkamash did walk away with a consolation prize in the form of a new Egyptian Record. Ahmed Akram set the previous national record of 7:49.83 at the 2015 World Championships. Elkamash will have one more chance to make a final; in the 1500 free, he is the 19th seed with a time of 15:01.26, just two spots behind Hafnaoui.
Although it’s not distance free, Tatjana Schoenmaker made some noise for the continent by virtue of her runner-up finish in the women’s 100 breast. Her time of 1:05.84, while off her personal best and African record of 1:04.82, was faster than her 1:06.68 from last year’s Commonwealth Games, a fact that shows the good form she will likely take into the 200 breast, an event in which she is the reigning Olympic gold medalist in.
National/Continental Records Through Day 3:
- Cameroon
- Giorgio Nguichie Kamseu Kamogne – men’s 50 fly, 29.93
- Cape Verde
- Jayla Pina – women’s 100 breast – 1:14.09
- Egypt
- Abdelrahman Sameh – men’s 50 fly, 22.94
- Marwan Elkamash – men’s 800 free. 7:46.55
- 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
- Lesotho
- Refiloe Chopo – men’s 50 fly, 34.21
- South Africa
- Rebecca Meder – women’s 200m IM, 2:10.95
- The Gambia
- Aminata Burrow – women’s 100 breast- 1:14.32
- Tunisia
- Ahmed Hafnaoui – men’s 400m free, 3:40.70 *African Record
- Zimbabwe
- Denilson Cyprianos – men’s 100 back, 57.29
Medal Table (Africa) Through Day 3:
| Rank | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| =1 | Tunisia | 1 | 1 | ||
| South Africa | 1 | 1 |