By MOSES CHIMFWEMBE-

ZAMBIAN swimmers put up a good performance at the just ended 13th CANA Zone Four Swimming Championships staged at the Alvalade Swimming Pool complex in Luanda, Angola, bagging home 47 medals.
With the women team finishing overall second on 1070.5 points, behind first placed South Africa, who garnered 1293 points, it was a mission accomplished for the Zambia Amateur Swimming Union (ZASU) whose target was a top two finish.
The swimmers managed to scoop 15 gold medals, 12 silver and 19 bronze medals though the men’s team finished in distant fifth position on 747 points.
During the final day of the competition, Johanna Buys continued to show why she is a future Zambian star when she shaved 1.18 seconds off her entry time to post a good win in a time of 1:02.58 minutes to secure the title in the women’s 13-14 year old 100m freestyle.
Fleur Donker timed 2:50.87 minutes to settle for silver in the 200 metres butterfly category that was won comfortably by the Mauritian Tessa IP Heng Cheung, who claimed the title unchallenged in a 2:32.77 minutes, with Trisha IP Hen Cheung, also from Mauritius, getting bronze with a time of 3:00.92 minutes.
The Sach Pinfold brilliance also continued when she claimed silver in the under-12 100m freestyle category with her new personal best of  1:07.67 minutes as South Africa’s Jenna-Lee Lange posted 1:06.37minutes to win gold with the bronze going to Leah Foo Sem Faih of  Mauritius.
The Zambian swimming sensation went on to win bronze in the individual medley to increase the country’s medal tally.
The men’s event saw Adam Pinfold shared the gold medal Botswana’s James Freeman after posting 57.89 seconds to record only the second dead heat in the competition as Erico Cuna from Mozambique completed the podium with a 59.32 seconds swim.
Zambia’s stalwart Tilka Paljk also added another bronze with the time of 1:03.56 minutes in the 100m 17 years and over freestyle heat that was won by top seed Elodie Poo Cheong from Mauritius after timing 1:00.63 minutes as Angola’s Ana Nobrega claimed the silver with a 1:01.10minutes effort.
The Zambians wrapped up the competition with two bronze medals in the 200m in the under-14 and 15 years and over women’s freestyle relays.