Zimbabwean swimmers Denilson Cyprianos and Paige van der Weisthuizen booked their places at the Paris Olympics under the universality quota on Thursday, the Zimbabwe Olympic Committee Swimming Committee (ZOC) confirmed.
The pair were nominated for the universality slot by Zimbabwe Swimming after they failed to achieve standard qualifying times for the global sporting event to run from July 26 to August 11.
Their participation was confirmed by the global swimming governing body FINA which means they represent the country in Paris.
Zimbabwe will now have two swimmers competing in their respective events at the Summer Games for the first time in history. Sajan Prakash was the first Indian swimmer to achieve the Olympic ‘A’ cut last month.
Denilson’s qualification journey was marked by her outstanding performance at the African Games in Ghana where he won Zimbabwe’s first gold medal after his impressive victory in the men’s 200m backstroke final.
Cyprianos finished the 200m backstroke in 2.01.96 becoming the first Zimbabwean male to win this category in the African Games’ history.
The Bulawayo-born swimmer will represent the country in the same event, while Van der Weisthuizen in the women’s 100m freestyle event.
Van der Weisthuizen also represented Zimbabwe at the African Games and was part of the medley relay team which won a medal at the continental competition.
Recently the 20-year-old claimed a bronze medal in the 50m freestyle at the McCullagh International Open in Bangor, Northern Ireland.
The inclusion of Cyprianos and Van der Weisthuizen on the roster for the Paris Games takes the number of athletes for Team Zimbabwe to seven.
They join marathon runners Isaac Mpofu and Rutendo Nyahora, sprinters Tapiwanashe Makarawu and Makanakaishe Charamba, and rower Stephen Cox for the upcoming Games.