Pieter Coetzee Dominates the 100 Backstroke at SA National Championships
Young swimmer Pieter Coetzee showcased his talent and secured his spot in the Olympics by dominating the 100 backstroke event at the SA National Championships. With a stellar performance, Coetzee clocked in at 52.89 to claim victory on Thursday night.
From the morning prelims to the final race, Coetzee was in a league of his own. Starting off with a fast time of 53.05 in the morning, he managed to outdo himself and improve his time to 52.89 in the evening. His winning margin of over a second and a half left his competitors trailing behind, and he came close to beating his personal best of 52.78 set in December.
South Africa Awaits Second Olympic Qualification
As the night progressed at the SA National Championships, the spectators awaited another swimmer to clinch an Olympic A cut. Ruard van Renen had a shot after his morning swim of 54.22, just shy of the B standard of 54.01. However, the University of Georgia swimmer couldn’t find the speed he needed in the final race, finishing with a time of 54.50 in second place.
With all eyes on potential qualifiers, the spotlight remained on Coetzee as the only swimmer inching closer to Olympic qualification at the Newton Park Swimming Pool in Ggeberha. The excitement continued to build as swimmers pushed themselves to meet the stringent A and B cut times set for the competition.
Victory for Dune Coetzee in the Women’s 400 Free and Exciting Finish in Women’s 100 Back
In a nail-biting finish, Dune Coetzee seized the victory in the women’s 400 free event with a time of 4:09.43, falling just short of the B cut of 4:09.14. The competition heated up in the women’s 100 backstroke, with Milla Drakopoulos taking the crown in 1:01.70. It was a close race, as Michaela De Villiers surged from sixth place in the prelims to snatch second place with a time of 1:02.40. In a tight battle for third, Hannah Pearse touched the wall ahead of Tayla Jonker by just .01 seconds. The A cut for the event stood at 59.99, with the B cut at 1:00.29.
Elsewhere, Kian Keylock triumphed in the men’s 400 IM with a time of 4:25.06, while Matthew Caldwell clinched victory in the men’s 400 free in 3:54.27, narrowly edging out Kris Mihaylov. The women’s 400 IM saw Dakota Tucker emerge victorious in a time of 4:47.09, showcasing her dominance in the pool with a lead of 6.5 seconds over Marlies Ross.
