LUANDA, ANGOLA – The third and final day of swimming competition at the 4th African Youth Games reached a thrilling crescendo on December 14, 2025, as South Africa cemented their overall dominance while Algeria, Tunisia, and other nations delivered standout performances across freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and relay events at the Complexo Piscinas de Alvalade.
Middle-Distance Freestyle: South Africa and Tunisia Share the Spotlight
South Africa's Leah Markgraaff capped off a stellar championships by claiming gold in the Girls 400m Freestyle with a commanding time of 4:32.67. Teammate Giuliana Vyncke secured silver in 4:37.31, giving the Republic of South Africa another one-two finish. Namibia's Madison Bergh—a consistent medalist throughout the Games—earned bronze with 4:40.10, demonstrating remarkable endurance across multiple distance events.
Tunisia's Kenza Ayari finished fourth in 4:40.79, narrowly ahead of compatriot Zaineb Saidi (4:46.71). Namibia's versatile Vitoria De Sousa placed sixth in 4:46.78, while Algeria's Kamilia Amalie Mezaouar (4:52.57) and Zimbabwe's Kristin Jones (5:07.40) completed the field.
In the Boys 400m Freestyle, South Africa's Matthew Goller delivered an emphatic victory in 4:03.50, establishing himself as one of the meet's breakthrough stars. Tunisia's Youssef Douma—the distance champion from Day 1—added another silver medal with 4:05.10, while South Africa's Kellen Jones secured bronze in 4:10.88.
Sudan's Adam Ahmed Yacoub Ahmed produced a strong fourth-place finish in 4:24.65, followed by Zimbabwe's Connor Grist (4:27.03), Angola's Santiago Rocha Guimaraes (4:31.10), Mauritius's Loic Larue (4:37.51), and Zimbabwe's Callum Chisholm (4:48.81).
Butterfly Mastery: Technical Excellence on Display
South Africa's Abigail Kotze continued her dominant championships with gold in the Girls 100m Butterfly, touching in 1:01.35 to add yet another title to her collection. Teammate Jemmah Roman claimed silver in 1:05.56, while Mauritius's Chloe Ah Chip earned bronze with 1:06.93—her second individual medal of the Games.
Tunisia secured positions four and five through Shaina Marzouk (1:07.84) and Aycha Ben Miled (1:07.90), with Namibia's Roselinda Matyayi finishing sixth (1:08.10). Algeria's Ziane Hanane (1:10.42) and Zaidi Ines (1:11.09) completed the finals.
The Boys 100m Butterfly featured another South African one-two, with Nicholas Pretorius winning gold in 55.46 and Eric Kotze taking silver in 55.65. Algeria's Torki Salaheddine—the sprint freestyle champion—claimed bronze with 57.44, showcasing his versatility across multiple stroke disciplines.
Algeria's Achouri Amine Mahdi finished fourth (58.20), ahead of Namibia's Lorenzo Esterhuizen (58.24) and Tunisia's Mohamed Yassine Mzoughi (58.40). Ghana's Kevin Abdallah (1:00.45) and Zambia's Joshua Mulenga (1:02.60) rounded out the field.
Breaststroke Battles: Tight Competition in Technical Events
South Africa's Chanel Veldsman extended her breaststroke dominance with gold in the Girls 200m Breaststroke, clocking 2:34.48. Teammate Caitlin Evans secured silver in 2:44.05, while Algeria's Benmahammed Rahma claimed bronze in 2:45.63.
Uganda's Peyton Mary Suubi delivered a strong fourth-place performance in 2:49.46, followed by Namibia's Vitoria De Sousa (2:49.97) and Tunisia's Omri Ilef (2:50.44). Algeria's Ferdi Cerine (3:00.13) and Angola's Kenenise Holy Vongo (3:04.87) completed the finals.
The Boys 200m Breaststroke produced one of the closest finishes of the championships, with South Africa's Jayden Williams touching in 2:27.45 to edge Algeria's Mohamed El Hadi Sigha by just three hundredths (2:27.48). South Africa's Gerard February took bronze in 2:28.59.
Algeria's Fateh Amine Zebar finished fourth (2:31.07), ahead of Eswatini's Luca Fraser (2:38.13) and Senegal's Nael Lamine Voisin (2:38.30). Kenya's Neo Olengo (2:39.54) and Zimbabwe's Nathan Chibva (2:43.29) completed the field.
Sprint Backstroke: Speed and Technique Combined
South Africa's Mila Van der Linde claimed gold in the Girls 50m Backstroke with a time of 30.29, ahead of Namibia's Roselinda Matyayi (30.88) and Botswana's Melodi Saleshando (30.97). Algeria's Hemani Lyna (31.39) and South Africa's Sophia Trout (31.99) rounded out the top five, with Algeria's Hamdaoui Aya (32.78), Tunisia's Isra Aouem (33.28), and Zimbabwe's Eliecia Chivandire (33.36) completing the finals.
The Boys 50m Backstroke featured another South African one-two finish, with Eric Kotze winning in 26.93 and Nicholas Pretorius taking silver in 27.21. Nigeria's Dumuje Aidan Abili earned bronze with 27.83, ahead of Algeria's Charifi Mohamed Chafik (27.87), Namibia's Lorenzo Esterhuizen (28.10), Algeria's Houd Abed (28.63), Kenya's Igbaal Bayusuf (29.41), and Namibia's Rodney Feris (29.48).
Relay Finale: Team Excellence Across the Continent
The Girls 4x200m Freestyle Relay saw South Africa dominate with a time of 8:44.41, with Algeria claiming silver (9:10.40) and Tunisia taking bronze (9:16.24). Zimbabwe (9:16.98), Angola (9:46.15), and Mauritius (9:56.09) demonstrated the growing depth of women's swimming across Africa.
In the Boys 4x200m Freestyle Relay, South Africa posted a commanding 8:03.16 to claim gold, ahead of Algeria (8:22.05) and Angola (8:41.69). Mauritius (8:53.33) and Zimbabwe (9:14.27) completed the field, capping off three days of exceptional competition that showcased the bright future of African aquatic sports.
Results
Photo Credit: SASCOC
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