Athena revels in her success at global showpiece

Kenyan swimmer Athena Diamantidis in action. [Courtesy] 

Kenya’s teenage sensation, Athena Diamantidis, has expressed her delight after claiming gold and bronze medals at the 2026 World School Games Swimming Championships in London last weekend.

The ten-year-old Kenyan’s journey to success was not easy. Competing against older and more experienced swimmers from around the world, Diamantidis had to fight through fear, pressure, and exhaustion before reaching the podium.

The competition, organised by the World School Games, brought together more than 600 swimmers from 41 countries across five continents.

For Diamantidis, it was her first major international event, and the atmosphere inside the huge Olympic swimming arena was overwhelming.

During her first race, the 200m freestyle, she competed against girls aged between 13 and 15 years old.

“I was very nervous,” Diamantidis said.

“I even started hyperventilating in the water and could not breathe properly.”

Despite the difficult experience, she still managed to finish fourth.

Although disappointed, Diamantidis refused to give up. After the race, she changed her mindset and focused on fighting back.

“That race was gone, and I told myself it was time to attack,” she said.

Diamantidis produced several personal best performances before winning bronze in the 100m freestyle. She later shocked many swimmers by winning gold in the 50m freestyle, completing a remarkable comeback after her difficult start.

Standing on the podium with Kenya’s flag was one of the proudest moments of her life.

Behind her success is a demanding training schedule. Diamantidis trains six days every week, sometimes swimming before sunrise and again after school. She also does fitness training at home and attends physiotherapy sessions to help her body recover.

“It is a lot of work, but I love swimming and competing,” she said.

Diamantidis also thanked her father for helping her stay motivated during hard moments.