Pieter Coetzé dominated the SA National Championship this past weekend. Photo: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Pieter Coetzé started and finished the South African National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha with a bang.
Coetzé obliterated his rivals in the 200m butterfly on Sunday's final evening of competition, taking gold with an extremely fast time of 1:56.07. The triumph capped a remarkable championships for the swimmer, and qualification for the World Championships in Singapore later this year in multiple disciplines.
He had become the first swimmer to claim a World Aquatics Championships qualifying time at this year's edition of the nationals at the Newton Park Swimming Pool on Wednesday. The 20-year-old dipped under the 100m backstroke qualifying mark in the morning heat in 53.03 seconds and then went even quicker in the final, taking the win.
Coetzé achieved another two qualifying times – in the heats and the final of the 50m backstroke. His heat time of 24.56 seconds was the faster of the two, swimming 24.78 to take the win in the final.
He also showed off his versatility in dipping under the 49-second mark in the 100m freestyle for the first time. He took the gold in a time of 48.63 with Ruard van Renen second in 49.34 and Guy Brooks third in 49.39.
“I really wanted to go under 49 so that was really the only goal for tonight and I got under 49 by quite a bit so I’m very happy with that,” he said afterwards.
“I knew it was going to be close with Ruard and Guy. You never know who is going to be there on the day. It’s one of my favourite races to swim, so it’s a lot of fun every year with them.”
Coetzé also raced to victory in his heat of the 50m freestyle in 22.05 (another qualifying standard). Though he was slower in the evening final, still safely secured the title in 22.45 seconds.
Pieter Coetze was in dominant form in the backstroke at the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha.
Image: Roger Sedres/Swimming SA
The other swimmer to add his name to the list of qualifiers was the equally dominant and versatile Matt Sates. The 21-year-old looked to be returning to his best form after starting his medal run with victory in the 200m individual medley in 1:58.83 on Thursday.
“It's nice going close to my best times again,” said Sates afterwards.
Sates later added the 100m and 200m butterfly gold to his collection of titles at these championships.
He was unable to extend his winning streak in Sunday night's fast 50m breaststroke final, however. The race was won by Joshua Emsley in a time of 24.30. Jarden Eaton grabbed silver in a time of 24.34.
Rebecca Meder was among the standout women swimmers at the meet, breaking her own national record in the 200m medley in a time of 2:10.39 to book a place at the global event later this year.
Another record tumbled in the women’s 50m backstroke where Michaela de Villiers outgunned Jessica Thompson to the gold in a new national mark of 28.25 seconds.
Meder also achieved the qualifying time in the 200m breaststroke as she claimed the title in a time of 2:23.61 earlier in the championships.