Tokyo Olympics: 2 more added to SA swimming team

The 2021 SA National Aquatics Championships wrapped up on Monday, 12 April at the Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha.

READ | TATJANA SCHOENMAKER SHINES IN THE POOL IN GQEBERHA

According to the SwimSwam website, the meet served as the country’s Tokyo Olympic qualifiers with those placing first and second with a time faster than the FINA ‘A’ standard eligible – but not guaranteed – to board the flight to the Far East.

Sadly, no swimmers were faster than the FINA ‘A’ in their respective individual events during the finals session on Day 6.

However, Emma Chelius managed to get under the mark in the heats earlier in the day for the women’s 50m freestyle.

The Natalian posted a new South African record time of 24.72 which was fractionally faster than the 24.77 requirement for Tokyo.

Chelius followed up with victory in the final, but in a slower 25.00 time.

Disappointingly, Erin Gallagher who was the previous national record holder and therefore quickest on paper heading into the event, could only manage 25.51 with Inge Weidemann (25.58) settling for third place.

READ | CHAD LE CLOS FAILS TO QUALIFY FOR TOKYO IN 100M BUTTERFLY, BUT …

Meanwhile, a second swimmer also got under the FINA ‘A’ in the men’s 4x100m medley relay.

Pieter Coetzé, still only 16-years-old, posted a 53.62 on the lead-off backstroke leg.

His time was just under the Olympic selection standard for the event of 53.85.

In other results on the night, 17-year-old Matthew Sates agonisingly fell short for the fifth time in his efforts to qualify for the Olympic team as he raced to victory in the 200 IM.

Sates was within an inch of the selection cut, posting a 1:59.69 which is just 0.02 seconds over the 1:59.67 he needed.

That makes 5 events where Sates was within striking distance of the FINA ‘A’, but didn’t quite hit the standard:

EVENT	FINA A	SATES’ SWIM AT 2021 SA NATIONALS
100 freestyle	48.57	49.29
200 freestyle	1:47.02	1:48.08
1oo butterfly	51.96	52.15
200 IM	1:59.67	1:59.69
400 IM	4:15.84	4:19.38

However, despite not swimming under the standard, the SA selection criteria leaves open the possibility that Sates will still be chosen to represent his country in Tokyo as he was under the Olympic Selection Time (“B” cut) standards in all of the events.

Meanwhile, in the women’s 200 IM, Rebecca Meder posted the top time of 2:13.66 while Aimee Canny and Dakota Tucker also found their way to the podium with a 2:17.54 and 2:17.83, respectively. Meder’s time was just over a second slower than the 2:12.56 FINA ‘A’ cut.

In the men’s 50m freestyle, Douglas Erasmus came out tops in 23.01 in the final which is exactly a second slower than the 22.01 FINA ‘A’. Ryan Coetzee swam 23.07 to take silver while Clayton Jimmie claimed the final step on the podium in 23.22.

In the women’s 1 500m freestyle 16-year-old Leigh McMorran posted the top time of 16:53.22, but trailed the FINA ‘A’ standard of 16:32.04 by some distance.

In the men’s 800m Brent Szurdoki swam 8:08.11 to win the event, a full 14 seconds slower than the Olympic selection cut of 7:54.31.

At the end of the championships only SIX swimmers posted Tokyo Olympic qualifying times – 3 men and 3 women.

While SASCOC may well decide to add more names – or withdraw some as they send a smaller overall team to Tokyo – by way of comparison at the most recent Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, 11 men and no women comprised the SA team.

That team won three silver medals thanks to Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos (2).

FINAL OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TIMES:

• Chad le Clos – 200m butterfly – 1:55.88
• Ethan du Preez – 200m butterfly – 1:56.44
• Tatjana Schoenmaker – 200m breaststroke – 2:20.17
• Tatjana Schoenmaker – 100m breaststroke – 1:05.74
• Kaylene Corbett – 200m breaststroke – 2:25.18
• Emma Chelius – 50m freestyle – 24.72 (heats)
• Pieter Coetze – 100m backstroke – 53.62 (relay)