Phillip Seidler qualifies for Paris Olympics
By Adolf Kaure.
Namibian long distance swimmer, Phillip Seidler, has qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games after finishing as the first African at the Aquatic World Championship 2024 in Doha, Qatar.
Despite finishing 48th overall, his time of 1:54:04 during the 10km open water swim was enough to cement his place as a participant of the Olympic Games, once more as the fastest African swimmer.
“Going into the Doha race, my aim was to take the African Continental qualification position, which means coming first in Africa in the 10km open water swim race in order to qualify for the Paris Summer Olympics 2024.”
“It was a very technical and tough racing course, competing with the best of the world, all fighting for a spot for Paris 2024. I am super excited to represent Namibia on the world stage again,” he said.
Seidler came out of retirement to compete in the championships. He said that the decision to come out of retirement to take on the qualifiers was a brave one. “In life, you will never do a whole lot unless you are brave enough to try. September 2023, I decided to give the Olympic Qualifier journey another try after I retired from professional swimming since the last Olympics, Tokyo 2021.”
“My life changed with quitting my full-time job and jumping back into the water with only 4 months to go with intense training to prepare for the Aquatic World Championship 2024 in Doha.” “There were doubters who questioned my decision to make a comeback, but I stayed true to myself,” he said.
During the Tokyo Olympics, Seidler finished sixteenth with a time of 1:53:14.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August in the French capital city.
Namibian long distance ace, Phillip Seidler has qualified for the Paris Olympics by swimming the fastest African time at the Aquatic World Championship in Doha. (Photograph by Adolf Kaure)
