Ridhwan Abubakar and his coach Farkry Mansoor during a past international event
Speaking from Austria’s capital city where the event happened, Abubakar who hails from Bandari Swimming Club in Mombasa County expressed his gratitude and excitement over his achievements saying that his goal remains to qualify for the summer Olympics in Paris this year.
“I’m thrilled to have improved my time and to win a silver medal in a competitive and World Aquatics sanctioned meet. Every race is a step forward, and today’s performance is a testament to the hard work we’ve been putting in,” said the youngster.
His coach Farkry Mansoor also speaking from Vienna expressed a lot of confidence with Abubakar in forging forward towards an Olympic qualifying time after surpassing his previous Kenyan record of 4:06.44 set earlier this year during the World Swimming Championships in Doha.
The 22-year-old’s performance not only earned him a spot on the podium but also boosted his World Aquatic Points from 712 to 719.
The significant rise in points now propels Abubakar to the forefront of the Olympic qualification rankings, showcasing his potential as a leading contender for the upcoming Olympic Games.
As Ridhwan Abubakar continues to break barriers and set new benchmarks, his journey is a beacon of inspiration for many young swimmers across Kenya and the East Africa region as focus now shifts to the Mauritius meet at the end of May and finalize with Bahamas meet in mid June as his quest for the 2024 Paris Olympics dream continues.
