Jordan records tumble at World Championships

AMMAN — Jordan returned from the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Doha with a staggering seven new national records, won by a brother and sister, according to a statement from the Jordan Olympic Committee News Service. Talita Baqlah, the 19-year-old London 2012 Olympian, and her 16-year-old brother, Khader, broke seven records between them to underline the steady progress being made by the sport in Jordan. Khader set new times in the four freestyle events he took part in (100m, 200m, 400m, 1,500m) and also set a new national mark for the first 800m of the 1,500m discipline, with his sister breaking two records in the 100m and the 50m freestyle. Their form has delighted the Jordan Swimming Federation (JSF) which has a long-term plan in place to improve Jordan’s performances in the pool. “What is particularly pleasing about Khader’s times is that they are quick enough to qualify for the World Championships in 2015,” Ibrahim Naddeh, secretary general of the JSF, was quoted in the statement as saying. “Talita is getting very close too and we are confident that both will also give it a good shot to qualify for the Rio Olympics with their times also improving in the 50m pool.” It has been a remarkable year for the sport with 33 national records broken in the pool.