Day 03 of the SA National Junior Age Group Swimming Championships

The 100m freestyle saw plenty of action with eight swimmers posting FINA Junior Qualification times, Ethan Spieker (16) in 51.75 and Kobe Ndebele (16) in 51.91 as well as Gawie Nortje (17) in 51.34, Matthew Bosch (17) in 51.39 and Jandre Moll (18) in 51.83, while on the ladies’ side, it was Aimee Canny (15) in 56.56, Dune Coetzee (16) in 57.38 and Olivia Nel (16) in 57.46.

Spieker also finished second in the 50m butterfly, clocking 25.94, while Canny won the bronze in 28.50 and Coetzee bagged the silver in her respective age group event in 28.58.

With a FINA Junior Qualification time of 1:10.21, Lara van Niekerk (15) bagged the gold in the 100m breaststroke ahead of Paige Brombacher in 1:11.91 and Kate Meyer in 1:14.95, while in the 17-18 age group race, it was Hanim Abrahams that added her name to the FINA Junior Qualification list with a golden time of 1:11.50, followed by Bianca Opperman in 1:11.94 and Tahlia Botha in 1:12.17.

Opperman (17) also won two gold medals in the 100m freestyle in 58.42 and the 50m butterfly in 28.67.

Luan Grobbelaar (17) and Ruan Breytenbach (17) claimed the gold and silver in the 400m individual medley, both touching the wall in FINA Junior Qualification times of 4:21.81 and 4:26.77, respectively, while Rebecca Meder (16) booked the gold in her category race with a FINA Junior Qualification time of 4:47.88.

Kian Keylock (13) continued to showcase his talent with an additional four gold medals in the 50m butterfly in 27.65, the 400m individual medley in 4:46.46, the 100m freestyle in 56.69 and the 100m breaststroke in 1:07.83, while Andre van der Heever (12) scooped the gold in the 100m freestyle in 59.85 and the 50m butterfly in 29.22 and the silver in the 100m breaststroke in 1:16.68.

In the 100m freestyle, the 100m breaststroke and the 50m butterfly, Pieter Coetze (14) was fast off the block, topping the medal podium in 54.75, 1:08.11 and 26.22, while Matthew Sates (15) dominated his respective age group races, winning the gold in 52.72, 1:04.78 and 25.45, respectively.

Luan de Waal (16) claimed the gold in the 100m breaststroke in 1:06.27 ahead of Ethan Koekemoer (16) in 1:06.91 and Luke Slabber (16) in 1:07.34, while Michael Deans (17) was the winner in the 17-18 section in 1:04.49 followed by Joshua Hamilton (17) in 1:05.21 and Namibia’s Ronan Wantenaar (18) in 1:05.23.

In the U12 100m breaststroke, Caitlin Ruane, Isabella McColgan and Kairah George made up the medal podium in 1:16.45, 1:18.26 and 1:20.29, respectively, while in the 13 year old category, the winners were Ruby Dixon in 1:15.58, Imke Koch in 1:16.02 and Jessica Gardner in 1:18.26.

George won another bronze, this time in the 100m freestyle in 1:03.27 behind Tori Voke in 1:02.98 and Milla Drakopoulos in 1:03.18, while Drakopoulos managed a second silver in the 50m butterfly in 31.80.

Lisa Kleyn (1:15.03), Dakota Tucker (1:15.48) and Catherine van Rensburg (1:15.76) were victorious in the 14 year old age group 100m breaststroke, with the medalists in the 16 year old event going to Tailyn Seyffert in 1:12.52, Alex Nicholls in 1:14.99 and Taylor Pharoah in 1:16.85.

Tucker went one better in the 400m individual medley, grabbing the gold in 4:58.86 ahead of Dixon in 5:03.64 and Leigh McMorran (14) in 5:04.41, while Dixon took home the 50m butterfly title in 30.08.

In the ladies’ 100m freestyle races, the 13 age group title went to Tazmyn Robson in 1:00.91 with the silver going to Amy Muller in 1:02.03 and the bronze to Christine Wessels in 1:02.27, while in the 14 age group category, it was Hannah Robertson who finished first in 58.04 ahead of Veronique Rossouw in 58.23 and Ambrin Pienaar in 58.64.

Rossouw made her way to the medal podium once again, winning the 50m butterfly in 28.78.

Aimee Canny, Kirsten de Goede and Brooklyn Croxon won the 14 year old category freestyle race in 57.31, 59.15 and 59.55, while golden girl Rebecca Meder (15) scooped the gold in her respective age group event in 57.80, followed by Georgia Nel in 58.78 and Herbst and Nel, who both ended in 58.88.

The SA National Junior Age Group Championships will continue tomorrow with the heats starting at 08h30 and the finals beginning at 17h00.

SA Qualifying Times – FINA World Junior Swimming Championships – Day 03:

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

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

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

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

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

Luan Grobbelaar (17) – 100m backstroke – 57.32

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

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

Olivia Nel (16) – 100m freestyle – 57.46

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

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

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

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

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.