BEIJING - A medal in the 50m freestyle of the 2012 London Olympic Games is not an absolute impossibility but how it’s achieved is one question every Rwandan should ask themselves.

For starters, Olympic debutant Jackson Niyomugabo finished second in his heat (27:74) seconds while three-time Olympian Pamela Girimbabazi finished third (39:78) and yet the pair did not get any significant preparations.

Apart from the daily and old-fashioned swimming drills back home, they were denied of any opportunity to weigh themselves with swimmers from the region who are at a more advanced level.

The National Olympics committee, neither Sports Ministry nor the local swimming federation deemed it necessary to let the pair participate in regional competitions.

The ministry of Sport and Culture and the swimming federation should shoulder the biggest blame not only for failing to arrange meaningful preparations for the swimmers but also hiring a sub-standard coach (Richard Ramira) to train the pair. 

In Beijing, it was evident that the coach’s interests did not match those of the country. Had Niyomugabo been guided by a professional coach in the build-up to the Beijing Games, who knows what could have happened.

To have a genuine shot in the London Games, early preps are a must.

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