By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Anton Geyser.
Pretoria swimmer Pieter Coetzé will have one last shot at adding to his impressive medal haul at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
Coetzé (21) already has 100m backstroke gold and 200m backstroke silver in the bag, will line up for the final of the 50m event on Sunday.
Coetzé blasted to victory in his semifinal in a time of 24.32 seconds to qualify third fastest for the final behind world record-holder Kliment Kolesnikov (24.16) and Pavel Samusenko (24.31). That saw him breaking former world champion Gerhard Zandberg’s long-standing South African and African record, set in Rome 16 years ago.
Zandberg is one of two South Africans to have won the world title in the 50m backstroke. He achieved the feat in 2007 while Zane Waddell took the same title in 2019.
Coetzé reckoned: “I’m so glad the 200 [backstroke] is out of the way. This race is so easy compared to the 200. So I’m super-excited. I love going fast. I love going maximum speed over one length, it’s always fun.”
Meanwhile, Erin Gallagher wrapped up her individual events at these championships with an eighth place in the 50m butterfly final. The 26-year-old was disappointed to have gone slower than her semifinal time, finishing in 25.66 seconds.
American Gretchen Walsh took the gold in 24.83 seconds with Australian Alexandria Perkins second in 25.31 and Belgian Roos Vanotterdijk claiming bronze in 25.43 seconds.
Earlier in the day, 200m breaststroke bronze medallist Kaylene Corbett won her 50m breaststroke heat, but her time of 31.43 seconds was not quick enough to see her through to the semifinals after finishing 27th overall.
Cailtin de Lange swam a personal best time of 24.95 seconds in the 50m freestyle to finish seventh in her heat and 18th overall, just missing out on the semifinals, and the SA quartet of Matt Sates, Matthew Caldwell, Olivia Nel and Aimee Canny were 19th overall in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.
The final day of competition in Singapore on Sunday will see Sates lining up for the 400m individual medley, while the SA women’s 4x100m medley relay team will also be in action before Coetzé’s 50m backstroke final in the evening session.