Pakistani swimmers struggle at world event

Athletes break national records but fail to qualify for finals in Istanbul.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s female swimmers failed to qualify for the finals at the Fina World Short Courses Championships in Istanbul as they fared poorly in their respective events.

Lianna Swan and Olympian Anum Bandey competed in the 200-m breaststroke event and finished 37th and 42nd respectively among 44 participants. However, both swimmers broke national records with Anum improving on her own record by 4.67 seconds and Lianna overtaking her by 5.99 seconds.

Meanwhile, Mahnoor Maqsood finished last in the 200-metre freestyle event and former national champion Kiran Khan achieved the 46th position among 76 participants. Kiran managed to break her record in the 50-m butterfly event by a second.

“I have managed to make my mark and prove my worth,” Kiran told The Express Tribune. “I’m still doing better than other swimmers.”

In other events, Lianna finished in 53rd position in the 100-m individual medley event, covering the distance in one minute and 9.89 seconds.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 17^th, 2012.