Chad le Clos Opts for 100 Free, Comes in Second at SA National Championships
Renowned swimmer Chad le Clos decided to withdraw from the final of the men’s 200 butterfly on Tuesday at the SA National Championships in Ggeberha. Unfortunately, he fell short of qualifying for the Paris Olympics in the 100 free event. Pieter Coetzee took the victory in the 100 free, clocking in at 49.12 seconds, which was slightly behind the Olympic A cut time of 48.34. Despite it not being his main event, le Clos finished second with a time of 49.34. Notably, he had a faster time of 49.04 at the 2024 World Championships in Doha. Guy Brooks secured the third spot in 49.42.
Before opting out of the 200 fly final, le Clos put up a strong performance in the prelims, finishing second with a time of 2:03.04. This decision made way for Matt Sates to claim the victory with a time of 1:56.99, a significant improvement from his prelim time, but still short of the Olympic A cut by 1.21 seconds. Dylan Wright secured the second position with a time of 2:03.12. The South African Trials at Newton Park Swimming Pool did not see any swimmers achieving an Olympic A cut on the second day of the meet.
Amiee Canny Emerges Victorious in the Women’s 100 Freestyle
Amiee Canny showcased her skills in the women’s 100 freestyle event, clinching victory with a time of 54.65. Despite her impressive performance, she fell short of the auto cut time by over a second. Erin Gallagher followed closely in second place with a time of 54.88, maintaining a significant lead over the other competitors. Canny also collaborated with LSU swimmer Michela de Villiers to secure a win for Western Cape Aquatics in the mixed 400 free relay event.
Meanwhile, Dune Coetzee cruised to victory in the women’s 200 fly, clocking in at 2:13.97. She finished well ahead of the runner-up Trinity Hearne by over three seconds. However, Coetzee’s time was still below the Olympic A cut of 2:08.43. The competition at the SA National Championships in Ggeberha continued to showcase exceptional talent and fierce competition among the swimmers.
