By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: Anton Geyser/Team SA.
South Africa’s swimmers have dominated the Commonwealth Games campaign, accounting for all 16 medals at the Tollcross Internationals Swimming Centre.
This is the same number of medals compared to the 2010 Games. In 2022, the swimmers won 11 medals, and in 2018 and 2014, 12.
The 4×100 medley relay was certainly a highlight from a tactical point of view. Pieter Coetze started in the backstroke and completed the 100m in 51.98s. This is only 0.38s slower than Thomas Ceccon’s world record. Coetze had competed in the 100m backstroke semis barely half an hour earlier.
Michael Houlie extended South Africa’s lead in the 100m breaststroke (59.65s). Then Erin Gallagher did well in the 100m butterfly (57.40s) to keep South Africa in second place. Aimee Canny completed the 100m freestyle (53.38s). South Africa’s 3:42.61 is an African record. Australia’s winning time was 3:40.46.
Wednesday sees the final day of the swimming competition.
Swimming
Men’s 200m freestyle, heats: Guy Brooks finished 8th in his heat in 2:01.94, while Kris Mihaylov was 5th in his heat in 1:50.01. Neither progressed to the final, with Mihaylov 16th overall and Brooks 33rd.
Women’s 200m breaststroke, heats: Aimee Canny was the first Team SA swimmer in the water today and won her heat in 2:27.05. Kaylene Corbett also won her heat, in 2:27.32. Rebecca Meder was 4th in the same heat in 2:29.96. All qualified for the semi-finals, in 3rd, 4th and 8th overall, respectively.
Women’s 200m butterfly, heats: Dune Coetzee finished 5th in her heat in 2:18.85 which made her the first reserve for the final.
Women’s 4x100m medley, heat 1: Team SA (Jessica Thompson, Lara van Niekerk, Erin Gallagher and Georgia Nel) finished 2nd in their heat behind Canada in 4:08.34 to qualify for the final as 6th fastest.
Men’s 4x100m medley, heats: Team SA (Ruard van Reenen, Chris Smith, Jarden Eaton and Guy Brooks) finished 2nd behind Australia in 3:38.98 to qualify 3rd fastest for the final where Chad le Clos is likely to replace Eaton in a big to earn a historic 21st Commonwealth Games medal.
Para Swimming
Men’s S7 50m freestyle, heats: Christian Sadie won his heat in a Games record 28.45sec to qualify for the evening final as the gold medal favourite.
Athletics
Men’s 200m, round 1: Mvuyo Moss finished 3rd in his heat in 21.02 which wasn’t fast enough to progress him into the semi-finals.
Men’s one mile, round 1: Tshepo Tshite finished 5th in a heat that included the new world record holder in the mile, Josh Kerr. Tshite’s time of 3:59.52 was a season’s best and he automatic qualifier into the final.
Men’s shot put, qualifying: Aiden Smith produced three consistent attempts of 19.65m, 19.31m and 19.86m to qualify for the 12-man final in 7th. Only 14cm covered athletes from 2nd to 7th in qualifying.
Para Athletics
Men’s T12 100m round 1: Masala Makatu finished 2nd in his heat in 11.05 and qualified 2nd fastest for the final. Jaco Smit won his heat in 11.11 and qualified 3rd fastest for the final. The final field is limited to 4 para athletes, so Team SA is assured of at least one medal.
Boxing
Women’s 70kg, quarter-finals: Samukelisiwe Ncube was beaten when the referee stopped the contest 2:40 into the 2nd round. Ncube had been knocked down twice by 2022 gold medallist Rosie Eccles of Wales and afterwards she said that she was grateful for the chance to be at the Games and had learned a lot.
Lawn Bowls
Women’s singles, Section C, Round 1: Bridget Herselman opened her campaign with a strong win over Zambia’s Mildred Mkandawire, 13-1, 8-4. Herselman, in her second Commonwealth Games and who carried Team SA’s flag at the opening ceremony, had jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first four ends (there are seven in each set). In the second set she briefly fell behind, (3-4) after five ends, but gathered herself to take control again.
Men’s Pairs, Section C, Round 1: Jason Evans and Paul White got off to a winning start when they beat the Norfolk Island’s pair of Jeht Nobbs and Michael Trickey 4-2, 7-0. Both sets are played over five ends and the Team SA duo began both sets by picking up two shots on the first end.
Para Lawn Bowls
Para Men’s Pairs B6-B8, Section A, round 2: Team SA (Kurt Smith, Mark Noble) split the two ends with New Zealand 2-5, 5-4 but lost 1-0 on the tie-break.
Weightlifting
Men’s 94kg, final: Nicholaas du Plooy was unable to record a weight, having missed three attempts at 132kg in the snatch. “I’ll be back and will be trying to qualify for the next Commonwealth Games,” he said.