SA Regional Level 1 Championships 2018
At the Van Riebeeck Park Pool in Mpumalanga, the up-and-coming star was 9 year old Veneske Steenkamp who won seven gold medals in the 50m butterfly, the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle, the 50 and 100m backstroke as well as the 200m individual medley in 45.47, 39.96, 1:27.40, 3:11.55, 47.89, 1:41.23 and 3:43.93, respectively.
Also from the Mpumalanga Province was Kagiso Hoaeane (14) who bagged an impressive six gold medals in the 50m butterfly (38.42), 50m breaststroke (42.74), 100m breaststroke (1:36.78), 50m backstroke (42.47), 100m backstroke (1:29.68) and the 200m individual medley (3:08.16), while also claiming a silver in the 100m freestyle in 1:15.05 and a bronze in the 50m freestyle in 33.08.
At the North West competition, which was held at the Lebone II School in Rustenburg, local star John-Thomas Botha (12) walked away with seven gold medals in the 50 and 200m freestyle, the 50 and 100m backstroke, 50 and 100m butterfly and the 200m individual medley in 35.71, 2:50.49, 42.34, 1:31.58, 39.13, 1:18.49 and 3:18.04, respectively.
With a close four gold medals and four silver medals was 11 year old Luke Mogajane, clocking 3:40.98 in the 200m individual medley, 3:09.52 in the 200m freestyle, 2:00.04 in the 100m butterfly and 1:26.46 in the 100m freestyle, while his second place finishes came in the 50m butterfly in 47.85, the 50m freestyle in 38.53, the 50m breaststroke in 52.43 and the 100m breaststroke in 1:58.06.
On the ladies’ side, Tshiamo Maleshane (14) won gold in the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle in 31.11, 1:10.79 and 2:37.26, respectively, as well as the 50m breaststroke in 38.24 and the 100m breaststroke in 1:28.66 and concluded with three silver medals in the 50 and 100m butterfly and the 100m backstroke.
At the Stadium Swimming Pool in Bloemfontein, the Free State’s Lize Botha (12) claimed the most medals, with a total of seven in the 200m freestyle in 3:13.23, the 100m freestyle in 1:19.61, the 50m freestyle in 35.28, the 50m butterfly in 47.42, the 100m backstroke in 1:41.41, the 50m backstroke in 43.61 and the 200m individual medley in 3:31.65.
Close behind Botha was 9 year old JC Coetzer who bagged two gold medals in the 50m butterfly (44.13) and the 100m backstroke (1:42.30), four silver medals in the 50m freestyle (38.39), the 100m freestyle (1:29.76), the 50m backstroke (47.46) and the 100m breaststroke (1:55.36) and finished the event with a bronze in the 50m breaststroke in 53.64.
The Eastern Cape Province held two events and at the Port Elizabeth competition, 13 year old Jamie Lacey scooped four gold medals in the 50m butterfly in 38.31, the 100m freestyle in 1:16.75, the 100m backstroke in 1:33.75 and the 50m freestyle in 32.86, while she finished with the silver in the 50m backstroke in 42.37.
On the boy’s side, Lieben Bester (11), claimed five gold medals in the 50m backstroke (42.18), the 100m backstroke (1:33.22), the 50m freestyle (33.72), the 100m freestyle (1:19.29) and the 50m breaststroke (47.34).
Cape Town also hosted their Level 1 regional Championships at the Western Cape Pool and coming out on top was 14 year old Minke Koch, winning eight of her races. Koch topped the medal podium in the 50 and 100m breaststroke, the 50 and 100m freestyle, the 50 and 100m backstroke, the 50m butterfly and the 200m individual medley in 45.96, 1:41.97, 33.80, 1:17.82, 43.10, 1:36.48, 38.26 and 3:26.37, respectively.
Cape Town’s Joshua van der Merwe (13) was six times lucky, winning the 50 and 100m freestyle, the 50 and 100m backstroke, the 50m butterfly and the 200m individual medley, while 9 year old Luan Terblanche claimed four gold medals in the 50m freestyle (37.16), the 100m freestyle (1:22.63), the 50m butterfly (41.00) and the 100m breaststroke (1:43.97), and finished second in the 50m breaststroke (49.47) and the 50m backstroke (42.35).
The SA Level 1 Regional Age Group Swimming Championships in KZN will be held this weekend from 17th to 18th March 2018 at the Kings Park Aquatics Centre in Durban.
ENDS
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Swimming South Africa
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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.