SPORT 

APS - 19 January 2021

ALGIERS - The Algerian participation has been overall "positive" in the 54th International Swimming Challenge (large pool), organized from January 15 to 17 in Geneva (Switzerland), Lamine Benabderrahmane in charge of team at the Algerian Swimming Federation (FAN) said.

The Challenge is qualifier to the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 2021 and 2022 World Championships.

The Algerian swimmers won four medals (1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze). The gold medal was snatched by Amel Melih in the 50m freestyle event, with a time of 26.04, ahead of the World and Olympic champion, Italian Federica Pellegrini (26.05).

Meanwhile, Abdellah Ardjoune won the silver medal in the A final in the 200m backstroke event (2: 01.64), achieving the minimum B for the Abu Dhabi 2021 World Championships (Short Course) in the United Arab Emirates and the Fukuoka 2022 World Championships in Japan (Long Course).

"The participation of the Algerian swimmers was generally positive, in particular Ardjoune, Djaballah and Amel Melih who have returned to their level of the 2019 African Games in Morocco," Benabderrahmane told APS.

"As training and competition halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the athletes were able to regain their level during an international competition organized in a large basin and after only five months of preparation, they achieved a very positive."

Three Algerian swimmers achieved the minimum results for the participation in the Tokyo Olympics. These athletes are Osama Sahnoune (minima A to 50m and 100m freestyle), Djaouad Syoud (minima B in 200m medley) and Abdellah Ardjoune (minima B in 100m and 200m backstroke).