Paris, France, July 29, 2024 - Gambian swimmer Aminata Nia Maria Barrow narrowly missed a semi-final place in her maiden Olympics appearance for The Gambia.
The 20-year-old finished 4th in her women's 100m breaststroke heat competition, with a time of 1:15:12.
Aminata qualified for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through a universality quota, becoming The Gambia's first female Olympic swimmer.
Meanwhile, the young swimmer who was born in the United Kingdom started swimming at age four and later began competing once she moved to the United States.
She competed for Shorewood Swim Club under coach Dave Westfahl and later at Shorewood High School. At Shorewood, she was a top student-athlete and competed on the swim team for four years, helping the high school's team be runner-up at the 2020 state championships.
Barrow won an individual state high school championship in 2021 in the 100-yard breaststroke. In 2022, Barrow competed at the USA Swimming Wisconsin championships and won the 100- and 200-meter breaststroke events. Barrow graduated from Shorewood in 2022.
Barrow walked on for the swim team at Brown University in 2022. She made the team and participated in eight meets during the 2022–23 season; she competed in the 100 and 200 breaststroke and 200 individual medley events.
She competed at the Ivy League championships and placed 16th in the 100 breaststroke.
She competed in seven meets in her sophomore year and set her personal bests in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. She competed at the Ivy League championships and placed 13th in the 100 breaststroke and seventh in the 200 breaststroke.
Barrow qualified for the 2023 World Aquatics Championships representing The Gambia, becoming the first female swimmer to compete at the event for the nation. In her international debut, she set national records in the 100—and 200-meter breaststroke events.
BY: Cherno Omar Bobb
