U of R swimmer heading to World Aquatics Championships

U of R swimmer to compete at Championships WATCH: A University of Regina swimmer is heading overseas to compete at the World Aquatics Championships. Brit Dort has more.

University of Regina swim team member, Ovesh Purahoo, will represent his home country of Mauritius at the 2024 World Aquatics Championships next week.

“I’m pretty excited because it’s something I’ve been working on for a long time now so I’m very happy,” Purahoo said.

The event will take place in Doha, Qatar and Purahoo will compete in the 100-metre freestyle and 50 metre freestyle.

Purahoo grew up on the island nation of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar. In high school the University of Regina recruited him and now has been a member of the University of Regina’s swim team since 2021.

“I was kind of looking to other schools in Canada but what I was attracted to here in Regina was the team culture and the small team,” he explained.

He is currently in his third year of studies and has been not only an outstanding athlete but student as well. Purahoo has earned the Academic All-Canadian recognition every year of his post-secondary career.

“Ovesh is a guy that gets the full student-athlete experience. He’s an academic All-Canadian, he’s got excellent grades, he’s a great student, and he’s a great part of the team. As a result he’s got some great performances in the water that inspire us all to push together,” said Head Coach Baylee Munro.

Purahoo has qualified to compete at the World Championships based on a combination of points awarded for his performances at World-Aquatics approved qualification events.

His performances at the 2023 Al Anderson Winter Classic in Saskatoon with persona best times of 52.53 in the 100 metre freestyle and 23.95 in the 50 metre earlier this month landed him a spot in Qatar.

“It will meaning everything [to compete there]. It’s like something I’ve been working on since I was four years old,” said Purahoo.

The World Championships will play host to 2,500 athletes from over 95 countries that will compete in six different aquatic sports.

They will have the world’s greatest swimmers vying for a spot on the podium in both individual and relay events. The event also serves as a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

For Purahoo to qualify for the Olympics he will be competing alongside other Mauritian swimmers for a university place. Which means him just taking to the waters at the World Championships could be a direct gateway for him to qualify for the games.

“Just to be in the pool with these guys that I’ve been looking up to since I was a kid, warming up in lanes, just like having fun,” Purahoo shared when asked what it is like to have a chance at qualifying for the Olympics alongside other world-class athletes.

Purahoo will compete on Feb. 14 in the 100 metre freestyle and Feb. 16 in the 50 metre freestyle.

He will be in Qatar until Feb. 19 and will return to Canada to compete at the U SPORTS Championships in March.