Egyptian swimmer Farida Osman has broken both Egyptian and African records in the 50-meter butterfly final at the 2015 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Russia's Kazan on Saturday, according to Ahram Online .
Osman finished fifth in the final with 25.78 seconds, beating the 25.88 seconds record that she had set on Friday during the 500-meter butterfly semifinal.
This isn't the first time that Osman, who specializes in the sprint butterfly and freestyle events, has shattered these records, however, as she previously broke them at the 2013 World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona and then again at the Santa Clara stop of Arena Pro Series this summer.
"Words cannot describe how I'm feeling right now. I honestly cannot be any happier. Thank you so much to everyone who's been supporting me, I am so honored and proud to be able to represent this special country. Love you all," Osman wrote on Instagram on Sunday.
Osman was not the only Egyptian to break records at Kazan, as Egypt set eight national records by seven different swimmers on the national team, which is more than any other country so far, according to swimswam.com.
"While Egypt’s national records overall may not be quite as fast as, say, China’s or Great Britain’s, it is still absolutely remarkable that they have been able to send such a large contingent to Worlds and then all swim the best swims of their lives," the report said.
The 20 year-old Osman started her swimming career at the age of five and is currently attending college at UC Berkeley in the United States. She has been widely considered a hero for Egyptian, Arab and African women due to their scarcity in international sport.
The Egyptian swimmer has repeatedly expressed her desire to make a difference in her home country, to inspire young people to achieve what they want and to become a strong female role model for Egyptian and Arab women, encouraging them to join more sports.
Osman made the Egyptian Olympic team at the age of 17 and was the only female swimmer to represent Egypt at the 2012 London Olympics.
She was also the World Junior Champion in the 50 meter butterfly category at the third FINA Junior World Championship in Lima, Peru, placing Egypt at the 11th spot on the medalists charts, one of its highest ever ranks.