Staff Reporter.
After four days of competition, South African’s top athletes have no intentions of slowing down, with a new African and three South African Records broken at the SA National Aquatic Championships in Gqeberha.
Alani Ferreira (SB13) penciled her name on the Paralympic short list with a fast 1:23.97 in the 100m breaststroke, ahead of Cornelle Leach (SB12), who not only finished with a Paralympic Qualification time but a new SA Record of 1:29.52 to the 2019 time of 1:33.24.
Ferreira also posted a new SA Record in the 400m freestyle heats session, bettering her 2019 time of 5:05.55 to 5:00.28.
In the S1-13 100m breaststroke, Hendrik van der Merwe (SB5) posted a Paralympic Qualification time of 1:45.38, while Christian Sadie (S7) could not be happier with his third Paralympic Qualification time in the 50m butterfly in a golden 30.91.
Kaleb van der Merwe (S8) won the silver medal in the 50m butterfly and broke the SA Record in the process with a time of 32.26. The 2004 time stood at 32.79.
Pieter Coetze narrowly missed out on an Olympic Qualification time when he clocked a golden 54.25 in the 100m backstroke, just 0.40secs over the required 53.85, while Martin Binedell bagged the silver in 56.47 and Ian Venter the bronze in 57.21.
Henre Louw touched the wall in 3:57.43 to take home the gold medal in the 400m freestyle, to Roberto Gomes’ 4:00.25 and Dylan Wright’s 4:01.07.
In the 400m individual medley, Dakota Tucker’s quick start won her the gold medal in 4:56.21 ahead of Samantha Randle in 5:00.04 and Trinity Hearne in 5:03.55, while in the men’s medley race, Matthew Sates walked away with the title in 4:19.38, followed by Ayrton Sweeney in 4:24.79 and Ruan Ras in 4:27.48.
Rebecca Meder, Hannah Pearse and Michaela de Villiers topped the 100m backstroke final in 1:02.28, 1:04.59 and 1:04.61, while in the 400m freestyle, the gold, silver and bronze were claimed by Dune Coetzee, Hannah Robertson and Lise Coetzee in 4:13.94, 4:21.46 and 4:23.03, respectively.
In the final event of the night, the quartet of Meder, Erin Gallagher, Aimee Canny and Emma Chelius, smashed the African Record in the 4 x 100m freestyle relay in an incredible 3:40.29 to the 2019 time of 3:43.35.
During a Time Trial race in the 200m breaststroke, Kaylene Corbett posted an Olympic Qualification time of 2:25.18.
The day 05 heats will start at 09:30, while the finals will begin at 18h00 daily.
Olympic Qualifying Times following Day 04:
- Chad le Clos – 200m butterfly – 1:55.88
- Ethan du Preez – 200m butterfly – 1:56.44
- Tatjana Schoenmaker – 200m breaststroke – 2:20.17
- Kaylene Corbett – 200m breaststroke – 2:25.18
Paralympic Qualifying Times following Day 04:
- Christian Sadie (S7) – 100m backstroke – 1:15.01
- Christian Sadie (S7) – 50m freestyle – 29.03
- Christian Sadie (S7) – 50m butterfly – 30.91
- Kat Swanepoel (S2) – 100m backstroke – 2:14.78
- Alani Ferreira (SB13) – 100m breaststroke – 1:23.97
- Cornelle Leach (SB12) – 100m breaststroke – 1:29.52
- Hendrik van der Merwe (SB5) – 100m breaststroke – 1:45.38.
The staging of this event has been made possible through the support provided by Swimming SA partners, Sport and Recreation South Africa, SASCOC, National Lotteries Commission, Arena and Rand Water.