The 2019 swimming season kicks off with the SA Grand Prix Invitational Swimming Meet in Nelspruit
Mpumalanga will play host to the 2019 season opener, which was launched in 2016 to provide local swimmers with top-class competition on home soil.
This year’s meet will consist of two legs, kicking off in Nelspruit before moving to Stellenbosch from 22nd to 24th February.
The Nelspruit gala will attract some of the country’s top stars which include the likes of Dune Coetzee, Erin Gallagher and Rebecca Meder.
South African 50 and 100m freestyle record-holder Gallagher, who experienced a stellar 2018 season, will be among the top athletes featuring over the weekend, while 16-year-old Coetzee, who won the 200m butterfly silver at the 2018 Youth Olympics to became the first South African female to win a medal in the pool at the Games, will have a packed schedule in the 100 and 200m butterfly as well as the 100, 200, 400 and 800m freestyle events.
Rising star Rebecca Meder, who made her senior debut at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) will be among the busiest swimmers over the weekend, taking to the water in the 200 and 400m Individual Medley, the 200m breaststroke and the 200m freestyle, with the freestyle event seeing Meder, Gallagher and Coetzee going head-to-head.
Ayrton Sweeney will be among the top male swimmers in Nelspruit where he will be swimming the 200m freestyle, the 200 and 400m Individual Medley and the 200m breaststroke.
The Nelspruit gala will be held as timed finals with Saturday’s programme kicking off at 14:00 and Sunday’s swimming starting at 08:30.
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.