LILONGWE--Women’s 50 meters free style swimmer Joyce Tafatatha failed to qualify for the semifinals of her event despite winning her heat at Aquatic Centre at the Olympic Games in London on Friday.

Tafatatha won heat 4 with a time of 27.74 seconds surpassing her best time of 29.51 seconds.

But in an event where the 16 fastest swimmers from the 10 heats qualified for the semifinals, the Malawi swimmer could make it, finishing 46th of the 74 swimmers that participated in the event.

The Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle in the UK reports that Amber Simukonda’s Olympic dream was over pretty much as soon as it had begun in yesterday’s London 2012 women’s 400m heats.

“Simukonda came fifth in heat five of the first round of races, clocking 54.20 secs and failing to progress.

“The Thames Valley Harriers sprinter had looked like missing out on the Games altogether after failing to make the Olympic standard mark of 51.55 secs in qualifying.

“However, the 28 year old paralegal was allowed in through a loophole which allows a country to enter male and female athlete into both the athletics and swimming events if nobody from the nations has made the standard time.

“There was the consolation that Simukonda’s time was enough to beat her previous personal best of 54.32 secs – but it still was not enough,” according to the Fulham and Hammersmith Chronicle the publication

Marathon runner Mike Tebulo will be Malawi’s only hope for an Olympic medal.
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©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.

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