Staff Reporter.
A phenomenal start for Mzansi’s top aquatic talent as the final leg of the SSA Swimming Grand Prix got underway at the Kings Park Aquatics Centre in Durban today.
The competition also doubles as the last event where SA’s Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls can post Qualification Times.
Matthew Sates delivered two outstanding performances in the 200m individual medley and the 100m butterfly with an Olympic Qualification time in each race.
Sates won the final of the 200m individual medley in 2:02.74 but it was his fast heats time of 1:57.60 that added him to the Olympic Qualification list, while in a time-trial for the 100m butterfly yesterday, the 17 year old recorded a time of 51.83, to the 51.96 requirement.
Breaststroke specialist Tatjana Schoenmaker was a force to be reckoned with in the 100m breaststroke final, winning the race in an Olympic Qualification time of 1:06.88 ahead of Lara van Niekerk in 1:07.73 and Kaylene Corbett in 1:08.11.
The gold medal in the 50m backstroke went to Olivia Nel in 29.04 to Michaela de Villiers’ silver time of 29.90 and Caitlin de Lange’s bronze time of 30.34, while the first place in the 100m butterfly was claimed by Dune Coetzee in a fast 59.67, ahead of Veronique Rossouw in 1:02.26 and Emma Christianson in 1:02.88.
Nel also bagged the silver medal in the 50m freestyle in 25.94, behind Emma Chelius in 25.20 and ahead of Rebecca Meder in 26.14, while in the 1500m freestyle, the gold medal went to Catherine van Rensburg in 17:10.32.
Christin Mundell, Hannah Robertson and Lise Coetzee topped the medal podium in the 200m freestyle, touching the wall in 2:04.56, 2:05.94 and 2:07.97, respectively, while Hannah Pearse won the 200m backstroke with a time of 2:16.62 to Samantha Randle’s 2:16.93 and Bernelee Doster’s 2:18.43.
Ethan du Preez was fast off the block in the 200m butterfly, clocking 1:57.85, over 4secs ahead of Ross Hartigan in 2:03.48 and Brandon Chapman in 2:04.31, while in the 100m backstroke, it was Pieter Coetze that won the gold in 54.31, followed by Martin Binedell in 57.64 and Zimbabwe’s Denilson Cyprianos in 58.22.
Coetze also claimed the gold medal in the 50m butterfly in 25.25 ahead of Alard Basson in 25.35 and Chapman in 25.36, while in the long-distance 1500m freestyle, the winner was Matthew Caldwell in 16:12.95.
In the 100m freestyle, Matthew Bosch walked away with the gold in 50.65, ahead of Guy Brooks in 50.67 and Luca Holtzhausen in 51.06, while Michael Houlie, Basson and Brenden Crawford made up the top three spots in the 50m breaststroke in 27.68, 28.62 and 28.70, respectively.
The honours in the 200m breaststroke went to Alaric Basson in 2:15.44 ahead of Michael Deans in 2:18.30 and Kian Keylock in 2:18.41, while in the 400m freestyle, Michael McGlynn won the gold in 3:56.56, followed by Henre Louw in 3:56.83 and Botswana’s James Freeman in 3:58.84.
SA’s Paralimpians were in top form, with Cornelle Leach (SB12) and Alani Ferreira (SB13) both posting Paralympic Qualification times in the heats of the 100m breaststroke, Leach clocking a new African Record of 1:26.24 to Ferreira’s 1:24.22.
Another African Record came from Christian Sadie (S7) in the 400m freestyle heats session in 5:21.59, while in the 50m butterfly, Sadie celebrated a well deserved Paralympic Qualification time of 31.90 to the 32.90 requirement.
Kat Swanepoel (S2) broke two South African Records with a Paralympic Qualification time of 1:01.01 in the 50m backstroke and 49.30 in the 50m freestyle.
The SSA Swimming Grand Prix Series concludes tomorrow, with the finals session starting at 10h00.
Olympic Qualifying Times following Day 02:
- Matthew Sates – 200m individual medley – 1:57.60 (heats)
- Matthew Sates – 100m butterfly – 51.83 (heats)
- Tatjana Schoenmaker – 100m breaststroke – 1:06.88
Paralympic Qualifying Times following Day 02:
- Cornelle Leach (SB12) – 100m breaststroke – 1:26.24 (heats)
- Alani Ferreira (SB13) – 100m breaststroke – 1:24.22 (heats)
- Kat Swanepoel (S2) – 50m backstroke – 1:01.01 (heats)
- Christian Sadie (SM7) – 50m butterfly – 31.90 (heats).