Every South African a Swimmer

The final day of the SA National Junior Age Group Swimming Championships

The final day of the SA National Junior Age Group Swimming Championships
Durban, Sunday, 24th March 2019 - The 2019 SA National Junior Age Group Swimming Championships wrapped up today with 23 athletes swimming a total of 47 FINA Junior World Championships Qualification times at the Kings Park Aquatics Centre in Durban.

In the 200m breaststroke, Ruan Breytenbach (16) clocked his fifth FINA Junior Qualification time and claimed the gold in 2:19.37, while Matthew Randle (15), Luan Grobbelaar (17) and Michael Deans (18) also added the event to their list of FINA Junior Qualification times in 2:20.61, 2:17.62 and 2:19.35, respectively.

Grobbelaar also made it five Qualification times when he won the 200m backstroke in a fast 2:04.55 to the 2:04.87 FINA requirement, while Cristopher Strydom (12), Darno van der Merwe (14), Zander Landman (15) and Dylan Wright (16) celebrated their age group victories in 2:26.32, 2:17.34, 2:08.24 and 2:05.24, respectively.

16 year old Tailyn Seyffert bagged the gold in the 200m breaststroke with a FINA Junior Qualification time of 2:33.65 ahead of Rebecca Meder in 2:37.59 and Taylor Pharoah in 2:41.07, while Hannah Pearse (15) finished the 200m backstroke with a FINA Junior Qualification time of 2:17.38.

Meder went one better in the 200m backstroke, winning the gold in 2:18.98.

The 100m butterfly saw Matthew Sates (15) win yet another gold medal in 55.60, while Sirhaan Mia (12), Namibia’s Mikah Burger (14), Gavin Smith (16) and Henju Duvenhage (17) all topped their respective age group races in 1:04.75, 1:00.11, 56.02 and 55.78.

There were plenty of fast times in the ladies’ 100m butterfly with Khwezi Jacobs (12), Tazmyn Robson (13), Veronique Rossouw (14), Trinity Hearne (15), Kerryn Herbst (16) and Bianca Opperman (17) all scooping the gold medals in 1:13.21, 1:06.77, 1:04.42, 1:02.63, 1:03.10 and 1:03.39, respectively.

Kian Keylock (13) concluded the competition with a gold medal in the 200m breaststroke in 2:30.06, ahead of Sebastian van Rensburg in 2:36.82 and Zimbabwe’s Josh Covill in 2:39.39 and followed that performance with two silver medals in the 100m butterfly in 1:01.04 and the 200m backstroke in 2:15.31, both behind Namibia’s Jose Canjulo in 1:00.85 and 2:14.74.

In the ladies’ 200m breaststroke, Ruby Dixon (13) maintained her impeccable record with a gold medal in 2:42.70, with the remaining first positions going to Caitlin Ruane (12) in 2:46.77, Dakota Tucker (14) in 2:38.47, Paige Brombacher (15) in 2:38.81 and Hanim Abrahams (18) in 2:35.84.

Dixon also claimed the top spot in the 200m backstroke in 2:24.08, while Milla Drakopoulos (12) won her age group event in 2:34.40, Emma Christianson touched the wall in a golden 2:18.94 in the 13 year old category and Megan Tully won the 17-18 backstroke with a time of 2:19.23.

Connor Reinders (12) walked away with the gold in the boy’s 200m breaststroke, touching the wall in 2:47.25 ahead of Johan Malan in 2:48.33 and Jayden Sivai in 2:49.89, while Ozzy Aromin won the 14 year old age group race in 2:31.01, followed by Ryan Zasas in 2:31.02 and Andro Louw in 2:31.37.

The final team for the 7th FINA Junior World Swimming Championships, which will be held in Budapest, Hungary from 20th to 25th August 2019, will be selected by Swimming South Africa.

Final SA Qualifying Times – FINA World Junior Swimming Championships:

Hannah Robertson (14) – 400m freestyle – 4:23.44

Hannah Robertson (14) – 200m freestyle – 2:05.65

Dune Coetzee (16) – 400m freestyle – 4:15.02

Dune Coetzee (16) – 200m freestyle – 2:02.08

Dune Coetzee (16) – 200m butterfly – 2:12.32

Dune Coetzee (16) – 100m freestyle – 57.38

Dune Coetzee (16) – 800m freestyle – 8:48.24

Rebecca Meder (16) – 400m freestyle – 4:19.48

Rebecca Meder (16) – 200m freestyle – 2:02.01

Rebecca Meder (16) – 400m individual medley – 4:47.88

Rebecca Meder (16) – 200m individual medley – 2:17.05

Ethan du Preez (15) – 400m freestyle – 4:00.73

Ethan de Preez (15) – 200m butterfly – 1:58.66

Matthew Sates (15) – 400m freestyle – 4:03.27

Matthew Sates (15) – 200m individual medley – 2:07.10

Ruan Breytenbach (16) – 400m freestyle – 4:01.37

Ruan Breytenbach (16) – 200m butterfly – 2:04.37

Ruan Breytenbach (16) – 400m individual medley – 4:26.77

Ruan Breytenbach (16) – 1500m freestyle – 15:44.91

Ruan Breytenbach (16) – 200m breaststroke – 2:19.37

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 100m backstroke – 57.32

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 400m individual medley – 4:21.81

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 200m individual medley – 2:03.99

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 200m breaststroke – 2:17.62

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 200m backstroke – 2:04.55

Olivia Nel (16) – 100m backstroke – 1:04.04

Olivia Nel (16) – 100m freestyle – 57.46

Tailyn Seyffert (16) – 100m backstroke – 1:04.30

Tailyn Seyffert (16) – 200m breaststroke – 2:33.65

Luca Holtzhausen (15) – 200m freestyle – 1:53.02

Luca Holtzhausen (15) – 200m individual medley (heats) – 2:06.53

Ethan Spieker (16) – 200m freestyle – 1:53.71

Ethan Spieker (16) – 100m freestyle – 51.75

Aimee Canny (15) – 200m freestyle – 2:04.87

Aimee Canny (15) – 100m freestyle – 56.56

Aimee Canny (15) – 50m freestyle – 26.15

Gawie Nortje (17) – 100m freestyle – 51.34

Kobe Ndebele (16) – 100m freestyle – 51.91

Matthew Bosch (17) – 100m freestyle – 51.39

Jandre Moll (18) – 100m freestyle – 51.83

Lara van Niekerk (15) – 100m breaststroke – 1:10.21

Hanim Abrahams (17) – 100m breaststroke – 1:11.50

Righardt Muller (16) – 1500m freestyle – 16:09.53

Matthew Randle (15) – 200m breaststroke – 2:20.61

Michael Deans (18) – 200m breaststroke – 2:19.35

Gavin Smith (16) – 400m freestyle – 4:04.20

Hannah Pearse (15) – 200m backstroke – 2:17.38

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.