ALPHONSINE Agahozo is one of the five athletes who represented Rwanda at the rescheduled Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan, in July. Like all her other compatriots, this year and editions before it, the 24-year-old did not win a medal – extending the country’s wait for an Olympic podium finish by at least another three years, until Paris 2024. No local athlete has ever clinched a medal in the Olympics since Rwanda debuted at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. Despite topping Heat 2 in the women’s 50m freestyle, the performance did not earn Agahozo a ticket into the semi-finals. Australian Emma McKeon bagged the gold medal in this category. Now a two-time Olympian, after the 2016 Rio edition, Agahozo spoke to Weekend Sport about her swimming career, her experience in Tokyo and aspirations for the 2024 Olympics. Excerpts; You have now represented Rwanda twice in Olympic Games, the biggest sporting event in the world. What inspired you to become a swimmer? I started swimming at a very young age because of my father’s passion for sports and his constant motivation. At first I tried out a few disciplines before settling for swimming. Then what followed was a lot of learning and training to become a professional. How challenging is the sport of swimming, and what is required for one to be a top performer? Swimming always challenges an athlete mentally and physically. It is an individual sport, you don’t have a teammate to pass the ball to like in football and team sports. You compete against others, but also with yourself. To be a top performer, a swimmer needs to monitor their nutrition – to avoid growing too fat or too thin, be consistent in practice and competitions, and have professional trainers and training facilities. But most importantly, you need to want it and work for it. How did you prepare for the Tokyo Olympics? We had two weeks of training camp at Nyamata La Palisse Hotel. There, I was mostly urged to observe the performance of other (world’s best) athletes in order to perfect my own game. Once we flew to Japan, we first had to adjust the new environment and its strict Covid-19 protocols. I was allocated a few training sessions in the Olympic Village before I competed. How was the experience, especially since you were making your second appearance in the Olympics? This time round it was different because of the different imposed measures due to the pandemic. Usually Olympics are fun, packed and loud, but the Tokyo Games were calm because no spectators were inside the venues. So I would say I was relaxed, and focused on training and doing my best in the competition. What do you have done differently to perform better? Many of the things I would wish to do are beyond my control. I would need swimming pools of international standard during my training, have more practice time and participate in many competitions before the Olympics. Once all that is available, then I would swim as a professional. Not just doing it as a hobby. What are your aspirations for the Paris 2024 Olympics? Or would you even want to give it another attempt? I very much wish to go back but it is a decision that needs a lot of pondering about. Competing in the Olympics demands a lot of time and training, and I hope I will be in good shape and have qualifications when that time comes. Besides, the decision does not necessarily rests on my shoulders alone. Rwanda Swimming Federation has the biggest say.
