Nine additional Youth Olympic Qualification times on the third day of the SA National Aquatic Championships
Christin Mundell (16) and Mariella Venter (18) raced to their second Qualification times in the 200m individual medley, winning the gold and silver in 2:18.31 and 2:18.35, respectively, while Venter was not done for the night, grabbing another Qualifying time in the semi-finals of the 50m backstroke in 29.73.
Mundell also added the 200m breaststroke to her ever-growing Youth Olympic Qualification times tally when she concluded the semi-finals in pole position, clocking 2:31.62, while Michael Houlie’s semi-final time of 2:18.56 was just 0.46secs off the required 2:18.10. The final for both races will be held tomorrow.
In the men’s medley event, Luan Grobbelaar confirmed his Youth Olympics Qualification time and scooped the bronze medal in 2:05.82, while Jarryd Baxter topped the medal podium in 2:00.85 ahead of Ayrton Sweeney in 2:02.18.
Bloemfontein’s Gawie Nortje (16) finished the 100m freestyle in second place with a Qualification time of 51.12, just 0.28secs from the 51.40 standard and will be looking forward to confirming that time in tomorrow night’s final, while on the ladies’ side, Erin Gallagher was fastest in 56.01, followed by Emma Chelius in 57.00 and Aimee Canny in 57.36.
The 200m butterfly final saw Dune Coetzee’s first Qualification time of the competition in a fast 2:14.73, over six seconds ahead of Trinity Hearne in 2:21.52, while Ethan du Preez and Ruan Breytenbach both managed a Qualification time in the 200m butterfly semi-finals, touching the wall in 2:02.18 and 2:03.35 to the 2:05.73 requirement.
In the semi-finals of the 50m backstroke, Western Cape’s Henju Duvenhage penciled his name on the Youth Olympics Qualification list with a time of 26.44 behind Jacques van Wyk (25.89).
In the long distance 1500m freestyle, the medals went to Kate Beavon, Abi Meder and Samantha Randle in 17:01.11, 17:12.61 and 17:19.04, with the men’s honours going to Brent Szurdoki, James Freeman and Aryan Makhija in 15:42.46, 15:50.29 and 15:52.44, respectively.
In the multi-disability 50m butterfly, Shannon Martins (S9) came out on top in 39.44, while on the men’s side; Ethan Paulse (S14) bagged the gold in 28.82, while Franco Smit (S12) won his respective race in 27.89, followed by Commonwealth Games silver medalist Christian Sadie (S7) in 31.09.
Paulse also won the 50m freestyle in 27.05, while Paralympian Hendri Herbst (S11) claimed the gold medal in the S1-13 category in 27.35 ahead of Sadie in 30.20. Michaela Kretzen (S14) and Katelyn Marais (S9) won the ladies’ titles in 33.06 and 33.76, respectively.
The SA National Aquatic Championships will continue tomorrow with the heats session starting at 09:30, while the finals will begin at 18:00 daily.
The staging of this event has been made possible through the support provided by Swimming SA partners, Sport and Recreation South Africa, SASCOC, National Lotteries Commission, Arena and Rand Water.
A Qualifying Times – Youth Olympic Games – Day 03:
- Michael Houlie – 100m breaststroke – 1:02.57
- Christin Mundell – 100m breaststroke – 1:10.72
- Christin Mundell – 200m individual medley – 2:18.31
- Christin Mundell – 200m breaststroke – 2:31.62 (SF)
- Mariella Venter – 100m backstroke – 1:01.86
- Mariella Venter – 200m individual medley – 2:18.35
- Mariella Venter – 50m backstroke – 29.73 (SF)
- Henju Duvenhage – 50m backstroke – 26.44 (SF)
- Kate Beavon – 200m freestyle – 2:03.27
- Dune Coetzee – 200m butterfly – 2:14.73
- Ethan du Preez – 200m butterfly – 2:02.18 (SF)
- Ruan Breytenbach – 200m butterfly – 2:03.35 (SF)
- Riccardo di Domenico – 50m butterfly – 25.00 (SF)
- Luan Grobbelaar – 200m individual medley – 2:05.82
- Gawie Nortje – 100m freestyle – 51.12 (SF)
*SF – semi-final
ENDS
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Swimming South Africa is the governing body of aquatics in South Africa.
Its objective is to encourage the practice of aquatic disciplines for all in South Africa with the purpose of promoting swimming as a life skill through Learn To Swim programmes; providing healthy exercise to South Africans of all ages and races; recruiting recreational swimmers to compete in the various competitions; and promoting competition and athlete development to the highest level. Swimming South Africa is kindly supported by SASCOC, National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Arena, Sport & Recreation SA and Rand Water.