Every South African a Swimmer

The 2018 SA National Open Water Swimming Championships

The 2018 SA National Open Water Swimming Championships
Jeffrey’s Bay, Sunday, 4th March 2018 - SA’s top talent as well as an array of international stars showed off their skills during the two day SA National Open Water Swimming Championships at the Marina Martinique in Jeffrey’s Bay.

Western Cape’s Ana Soares da Cunha (26) and Michelle Weber (22) celebrated their well deserved first and second place in both the 5 and 10km races, finishing just over a minute apart in the 10km in 1:56:17.10 and 1:57.20.50 and clocking 1:00:14.37 and 1:00:16.34 in the 5km, respectively, while Germany’s Sarah Boslett (25) claimed the third place in 2:03:40.70 and 1:00:51.53.

In the men’s 10km event, Hungary’s Daniel Szekelyi (23) and Peter Galicz (18) edged out KZN’s Dante Nortje (18), as Szekelyi scooped the gold in 1:54:29.10 to Galicz’s 1:55:52.20 and Nortje’s 1:56:18.00, while in the 5km race, the Hungarians once again topped the medal podium in 56:11.70 and 57:01.00 to Namibia’s Phillip Seidler’s bronze time of 57:19.43.

The top three places in the men’s 3km 12-14 age group went to Dennis de Villiers (12) in 37:33.00, Connor Albertyn (14) in 39:59.80 and Enzo Pretorius (14) in 40:24.00, while Flippie vd Spuy (15), Zac Ellis (15) and Connor Buck (15) won the 15-16 event in 36:26.60, 37:15.00 and 37:16.50, respectively.

Cole Craig (18) bagged the gold in the 17-18 3km race in 37:22.30 ahead of Seyuran Perumal (17) in 37:27.00 and Nicholas Campbell (17) in 37:28.00, while the ladies’ 17-18 gold was claimed by Payton Horton (18) in 40:01.10 followed by Jesica Smit (18) in 40:02.30 and Thelise Saunders (18) in 40:08.10.

The girls’ 12-14 3km medals went to Leigh McMorran (14) in 39:05.40, Catherine van Rensburg (14) in 39:49.00 and Chloe le Roux in 39:53.90, with the 15-16 gold going to Kaitlyn Albertyn (16) in 38:53.60, the silver to Trinity Hearne (15) in 39:26.50 and the bronze to Emilie Krog (16) in 39:43.40.

This year’s competition also doubles as the official qualifier for the 4th FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships, which will be held in Israel from 7th to 9th September 2018, and the top two athletes in the 5, 7.5 and 10km races from the relevant age groups (14-15, 16-17 and 18-19) will be considered for selection by Swimming South Africa.

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Swimming South Africa
011 404 2480

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.