Eleven swimmers posted qualifying times for the FINA World Short-Course Championships in China in December

Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh added the 50m breaststroke to his repertoire in what would be his fifth World Swimming Short-Course Championships. Van der Burgh won the 50m breaststroke on Sunday in a time of 26.47 seconds with Brad Tandy posting a qualifying time in his third event at the championships touching second. Tandy stopped the clock in 26.66 with Michael Houlie claiming third place with 27.27.

Commonwealth Games double gold medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker won her third title at the championships and posted qualifying times in as many events. On Sunday Schoenmaker dipped below the required mark in the 50m breaststroke in both the morning heats and the final in the afternoon. Her winning time of 30.39 was 0.31s faster than the required time beating Lara van Niekerk (31.12) and Jade Neser (32.28) to the wall.

Ayrton Sweeney won the 400m Individual Medley gold hitting the wall in a qualifying time of 4:09.60. He finished nearly six seconds ahead of the second-placed Ruan Ras (4:15.40) and Damian Mullen, who finished third in 4:20.66. Sweeney booked his place for the world championships earlier when he posted a qualifying time in the 200m breaststroke.

Splash and dash specialist Tandy and Douglas Erasmus booked their places for the world championships in the 50m freestyle.

Tandy did it twice on Sunday where he first met the qualifying mark of 21.71 seconds in the morning heats. He won the final with a time of 21.43 with Zane Waddell finishing second posting a qualifying time in his third event at the championships. Waddell, who has already posted qualifying marks in the 100m freestyle and 50m backstroke, touched in 21.65 in the 50m freestyle final with Ryan Coetzee finishing third in 21.75.

Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Coetzee qualified for his second event in the preliminary rounds in the 100m butterfly posting a time of 50.97. Coetzee already penciled his name for the team in the 50m butterfly earlier in the championships. He raced to victory in the 100m butterfly final with a time of 51.76 with Alard Basson touching second in 53.34 and Zambian Ralph Goveia finishing third in 53.96. Jacques van Wyk was the third South African clocking 54.37.

The 16-year-old Rebecca Meder set a qualifying time in her second event at the championships adding the 400m IM title to the 200m IM gold medal. She first posted a qualifying mark in the heats before doing it again in the final of the 200m IM clocking a winning time of 4:38.14. Jessica Whelan finished second behind Meder with 4:45.84 with Samantha Randle bagging bronze in 4:46.55.

Erin Gallagher, who has already set qualifying times in the 100m freestyle, 50m butterfly, and the 100m IM, added a fourth when she won the 50m freestyle final. She hit the wall first in a world short-course qualifying time of 24.46 nearly a second ahead of Olivia Nel (25.46) in second place. Emma Chelius rounded off the podium with 25.74.

Gallagher won the 100m butterfly title with a time of 58.54 earlier in the final session where she was followed by Tayla Lovemore (58.57) and Dune Coetzee (1:02.66) in second and third place respectively.

Distance swimmer Abi Meder won the women’s 1500m freestyle in a time of 16:33.68 with Kate Beavon taking silver in 16:44.65 ahead of Jordan-Jenna Rolfe in third place with 16:58.20.

Qualifying Times following Day 04 – World Short-Course Championships:

Men:

Chad le Clos - 100m freestyle (46.45), 50m butterfly (22.57)

Cameron van der Burgh - 100m breaststroke (57.63), 50m breaststroke (26.47)

Zane Waddell - 100m freestyle (47.54), 50m backstroke (23.55), 50m freestyle (21.65)

Ryan Coetzee - 50m butterfly - (22.99), 100m butterfly (50.97) 

Brad Tandy - 50m butterfly - (23.12), 50m freestyle (), 50m breastroke (26.66)

Ayrton Sweeney - 200m breaststroke (2:06.81), 400m IM (4:09.60)

Douglas Erasmus - 50m freestyle (21.63)

Women:

Tatjana Schoenmaker - 200m breaststroke - 2:18.93, 100m breaststroke (1:05.12), 50m breaststroke (30.39)

Emily Visagie - 200m breaststroke (2:23.03)

Erin Gallagher - 100m freestyle (53.34), 50m butterfly (26.07), 100m IM (1:01.00), 50m freestyle (24.46)

Rebecca Meder - 200m IM (2:12.35), 400m IM (4:38.14)

The staging of this event has been made possible through the support provided by Swimming SA partners, Sport and Recreation South Africa, SASCOC, Arena, Rand Water and the National Lotteries Commission.

ENDS

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