Seychellois swimmer wins gold at African Championship

File Photo of Alexus Laird. (Joe Laurence, Seychelles News Agency)

(Seychelles News Agency) - Seychellois Alexus Laird said Wednesday that she is proud and humbled to have won the gold medal in the final of the 50-metre backstroke at the 12th African Swimming Championship in South Africa.

Laird clocked 30.68 seconds, the only female athlete to finish the event below the 31-second mark. In second place was Amel Melih from Algeria in 31.08 seconds.

Speaking to SNA on Wednesday, Laird said, “I am happy to win the 50 backstroke and so very humbled and proud to stand on top of the podium with the Seychelles flag flying high. There is no better feeling than that.”

Laird won three other medals: silver in the 100-metre backstroke and two bronze in the 50-metre freestyle and 200-metre backstroke.

Laird told SNA that she was participating in the competition with the assistance of coach Marcel Antat.

The 12th African Swimming Championship was organised by the Confédération Africaine de Natation Amateur (CANA) October 16 – 24 in Bloemfontein, South Africa with the participation of around 23 countries.

Laird won at the 12th African Swimming Championship in South Africa. (Alexus Laird/Facebook) Photo License: CC-BY

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, came out 4th on the overall medal table. The host country South Africa finished top of the table with 33 gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze.

Laird was one of the ten Seychelles athletes in the Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil.

“I took a three-week break after Rio to rest for the next two years. So I’m ready to put in hard work and training towards my four-year plan,” Laird told SNA.

The Seychellois swimmer is back in the island nation for the remainder of the year and has other events on her planner.

“I will be competing in the 2016 World Championship in Windsor, Canada and the annual meeting in Reunion from December 28-30, which features many athletes from the Indian Ocean Games.”