Brenton Naka, representing the Solomon Islands had his second outing at these World Aquatic Championships on Day 6. This time the 19 year old was competing in Heat 1 of the Men’s 50m Freestyle.
Brenton made a good start off the blocks with a reaction time of 0.63 seconds, meaning he was second into the water. He went on to complete it in a time of 28.35 seconds.
In the interview area afterwards, Brenton was pleased with his swim,
‘I couldn’t have done any more. That’s my best effort. My time trial at home was over 29 seconds. My aim was to just cut down my time.’
A relative newcomer to the sport of swimming, having only taken it up 4 years ago, the last minute instructions from his coach helped to calm Brenton.
‘He said, “just focus on your race, don’t focus on others. Just do what you can do”.’
That was Brenton’s last race this week and for the swimmer it has been, ‘good, and with more experience. My first time in World Championship in Singapore, and I enjoyed all of this week. My favourite moment is just racing my event.’
It’s been a really positive experience for Brenton, and he enthusiastically told us how he wants to build upon this experience.
‘I have learned to keep working hard on my training. Perhaps a little harder each time. I love swimming. It’s a clean sport. There’s not many who take part on the Solomon Islands but I find it really enjoyable.’
–Ends–
Written by The Reporters’ Academy. Photos by Andrea Schuster