Ugandan swimmer Jesse Ssengonzi has broken his own national record in the men’s 100m butterfly at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In Heat 1 of the event that took place earlier today, Ssengonzi clocked an impressive 53.76 seconds, surpassing his previous record of 54.06 seconds set at the 2023 Westmont Pro Swim Series.
Ssengonzi, who was competing in a seven-man heat finished second, narrowly trailing Croatia’s Nikola Miljenic, who won the race with a time of 53.32 seconds.
Behind Ssengonzi were Joe Kurniawan from Indonesia, Milos Milenkovic from Montenegro, Josh Kirlew from Jamaica, Oscar Cyusa Peyre Mitilla from Rwanda, and Hasan Ali Khaleel Al-Zinkee from Iraq, who finished third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh respectively.
Ssengonzi is the 8th male swimmer to represent Uganda at the Olympics, since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
After the race, Ssengonzi expressed his elation in breaking the national record in an interview with sports journalist Clive Kyazze.
“It’s a great honour, I’m really happy that the swim came together really well. I think I took it a little faster than I intended to, but I won the national record and I’m honoured to do that on a great stage.”
The 21-year-old’s previous record of 54.06 seconds was set with a slower opening 50 meters but a significantly faster closing 50.
Ssengonzi managed to shave off exactly three-tenths of a second from his previous best, showcasing his improved stamina and technique.
Despite his record-breaking performance, Ssengonzi’s time was not sufficient to advance to the semi-finals of the men’s 100m butterfly.
He finished 28th overall out of 35 competitors, with only the top 14 swimmers moving forward to the two semi-finals scheduled for tonight starting at 22:05.
Ssengonzi however credited his rigorous training as what has enabled him to set the national record. “I’ve been doing a lot of specific training and I think it has paid off really nicely,” he said.
Looking ahead, Ssengonzi expressed his aspirations to respresent Uganda again at the next Olympics saying, “If I’m able to make the 2028 Olympics, I hope to go even faster. Obviously, I’m based in the US, and that will be an advantage for me.”
He also revealed plans to visit Uganda next year saying, “I hope to visit Uganda next summer. It’ll be great to swim in Uganda, as I’ll be able to inspire other swimmers in the country.”
