FINA confirms Dunford has hit London Games qualifying mark

By Oscar Pilipili

World swimming governing body FINA have clarified that Kenyan torpedo Jason Dunford will compete at 2012 London Olympics next month (June).

FINA indicated in a letter to National Olympics Committee of Kenya that the time Dunford achieved at the 2011 World Championships in China qualified him to swim in London.

Dunford recorded 51.59 seconds in 100m fly to finish fourth in the World Championships in Shanghai and the achievement won him a berth at the 2012 Olympics Games.

Dunford’s father (Martin Dunford) told FeverPitch that contrary to reports that have been circulating locally, participation of his son at the Summer Games has never been in question.

He said: “Dunford finished fourth in World Championships which was direct qualification to the Olympics. I have never seen anybody who finish in position four at World Championships miss Olympics.”

Martin confirmed that the swimmer was on Olympics warm up trail in Europe.

“Jason is at high performance training camp in Spain and he will be participating in a series of Championships across Europe as he prepares for the Olympics,” Martin told FeverPitch on Monday.

Dunford became the first Kenyan ever to win a continental swimming medal with gold in the 100m fly at the 2006 African Championships in Senegal.

He finished that competition with two gold, three silver and one bronze medal.

Dunford and his brother David won all of Kenya’s nine medals in that competition.

That success helped Jason finish second in voting for the Kenyan Sportsman of the Year Award behind Alex Kipchirchir, one of the nation’s many world-class runners. Dunford’s best result at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia was an eighth-place finish in the 100m fly.

On his way to the final, he finished a preliminary heat in 51.85, a new African record.

He became the first Kenyan swimmer to qualify for the Olympics, gaining qualification for Beijing in 2008.

At the 2007 All-Africa Games, he won three gold medals, two silver and three bronze medal.

His appearance at 2012 London Olympics will be his second at the quadrennial competition.