Zaira Forson Focused On Becoming A Swimming Super Star

Ghana's young swimming empress Zaira Forson, displayed a resilient act to win the silver medal in the Open Water Championship race at the Aqua Safari Resort at Ada last Sunday to highlight the seventh Africa Zone Two Swimming and Open Water Championships in Accra, Ghana.

Zaira recorded a time of 1:43.04 hours in the women’s 5km Open Water event, finishing in second position behind Senegal’s Diagne Sophia Catherine who swam in a record time of 1:39.07 hours to win the gold medal.

The 15-year-old Zaira improved her performance and time as she slashed 10 minutes off her previous mark that won her gold over the same distance at the 2018 edition of the same championship in Dakar, Senegal.

She was decorated with 13 medals overall, comprising eight individual medals (including the Women’s 400 metres Individual Medley, 200m Backstroke, 400m Freestyle) and five team medals at the three-day competition at the Bukom International Pool in Accra and the Aqua Safari Resort at Ada.

After her impressive performance, she said the championship had exposed her weakness, which she would work on, as well as build on her strengths to become a superstar and a future Olympic swimmer.

"I appreciate this championship because it has exposed me to know where I fell short. I am going to train intensively to improve on my time where the world will see me as a superstar because I have a lot to offer."

"I will not be complacent after this championship because the championship was a learning room to test my capabilities. I am still young and the best thing to push Ghana swimming is through training,” Zaira told journalists.

Ghana grabbed 29 medals after the championships, but could not get an Olympic Qualification. Senegal managed 49 medals to win the event that saw 40 records being broken.

Ghana Swimming Association President, Mr Theophilus Wilson Edzie and his executives are hopeful that team Ghana will shine at the next International Swimming Championship in Durban, South Africa from April 15, 2020, where some of the nation’s top swimmers will attempt to make the qualification time for the Olympics would be successful.

The 7^th CANA zone 2 competition served as qualifiers for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, but Ghana failed to secure a qualification spot for the Games as none of the swimmers made the Olympic qualification time though the team grabbed 29 medals after the championship.

Zaira dad told Yours Truly confidently that the future is very bright for Ghana Swimming and called for the maintenance of the pool, which will serve as a training facility for the national swimmers.