Swimming

Three-time Olympic medallist Roland Schoeman’s name is among those on the start lists for the SA National Championships in Gqeberha this week – the 42-year-old sprinter looking to take on the young guns at the 12-16 April meet.Schoeman has not competed at the national event since 2016, but has decided to give it another go in the 50 and 100m freestyle and the 50m butterfly. Also considered one of the veterans, but 11 years Schoeman’s junior is Chad le Clos, who has been enjoying a recent … [Read more...] about Athletes converge on Gqeberha for SA National Swimming Championships

Connor Buck emerged as the dominant force at the SA Open Water Championships at Marina Martinique near Jeffreys Bay over the weekend.There was double delight for the Durban swimmer as he claimed victory in both the men’s 5km and 10km races, the events in which World Championships qualification was up for grabs. It was particularly satisfying for the 20-year-old after just missing out on both titles last year and having to settle for second place. This time round he made sure he was just in front … [Read more...] about Buck doubles up at SA Open Water Championships while teen Lotter stuns the women’s 10km field

Places on the team to the Swimming World Championships in Japan will be the chief target of the elite swimmers taking part in the SA Open Water Championships which get under way at Marina Martinique today and continue until Sunday.Two-time Midmar Mile champion and last year’s SA Open Water runner-up in both the 5 and 10km races, Connor Buck, will be among the favourites in the men’s races, while two-time Olympian Michelle Weber makes a return to the 10km field after skipping the event last … [Read more...] about Swimmers aim for world champs places at SA Open Water Championships this weekend

The oldest open water swimming event on the Continent, The Nelson Mandela Bay aQuellé River Mile hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality, returns to Sunday’s River over the weekend 18th / 19th February for another action packed family fun weekend celebration of it’s 99th Anniversary.Africa’s oldest swimming event reaches it’s 99th milestone and things couldn’t get hotter for this year with a top field of swimmers anticipated for the iconic Men’s and Ladies Mile events. The family weekend … [Read more...] about River Mile turns 99

Matt Sates provided one final highlight on the last night of action at the SA Swimming Championships in Gqeberha last night, adding another World Championships and Commonwealth Games qualifying time to his collection.Having already dipped under the required mark in the morning heats, the Maritzburg teenager went even quicker in the 200m individual medley final, reaching the wall in 1:58.37 to beat visiting British swimmer Max Litchfield (1:59.96). With that, Sates also secured his fourth gold … [Read more...] about Nine Swimmers Qualify for Commonwealth Games and World Championships

Rising SA swimming sensation Matt Sates claimed his first World Championships and Commonwealth Game qualification time on day two of the SA Swimming Championships in Gqeberha on Thursday.The 18-year-old, who has been setting the US college circuit alight for the University of Georgia, won the 200m freestyle title in an impressive 1:46.15 to ensure he’s up for selection for the major championships later in the year. “It was a good one. It’s my first gala long course since Olympics so I’m still … [Read more...] about Sates secures first qualifying time at SA Swimming Championships

Prior to the weekend, Ruan Breytenbach considered himself a pool swimmer, but after completing the 5km and 10km double at the SA Open Water Championships at Marina Martinique, the 20-year-old will be switching focus.Just like in the 10km race a day earlier, the men’s 5km race came down to a last-lap battle between Breytenbach and Durban’s Connor Buck, with a frantic sprint to the finish. And once again it was Breytenbach who claimed the win. The Pretoria swimmer only just beat his rival on the … [Read more...] about Breytenbach completes impressive double as Van Rensburg claims 5km honours

The 49th edition of the aQuellé Midmar Mile on Sunday, 13 February 2022 crowned two first-time champions on Sunday as Stephanie Houtman and Connor Buck emerged victorious in the elite races.Just a week ago, Houtman wasn’t even planning to compete but made the last-minute decision to head to the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam for the event. It was Tory Earle who took an early lead in the women’s race, reaching the 400m and halfway points in front. But Houtman steadily worked her way to the front by the … [Read more...] about Maiden Midmar Victories

Both Tory Earle and Samantha Randle have edged closer to taking the aQuellé Midmar Mile title in recent years, so both will be eager to go one step further in the women’s elite race on Sunday.Earle finished second to Olympian Michelle Weber in the 2021 event and has switched up her training since moving from Durban to Pretoria where she’s studying chemical engineering. “This year my training has been a little different because I recently moved to TUKS and have been training under Rocco Meiring … [Read more...] about Tory Earle and Samantha Randle eager to step up

Two-time defending aQuellé Midmar Mile champion Michael McGlynn has confirmed he will be gunning for a third straight title this weekend.McGlynn powered to a second consecutive title in 2021 before qualifying for the Olympic Games and finishing an impressive eighth in the 10km open water event in Tokyo. This year hasn’t quite gone according to plan, but the Durban swimmer is still determined to put in a good showing in the men’s elite race. “I started the new year with Covid and a chest injury, … [Read more...] about Two-time champion back to defend Midmar title

2020 aQuellé Midmar Mile champion Robyn Kinghorn is looking to make up for the disappointment of a fifth place last year when she returns to the KwaZulu-Natal dam to take on the 2022 race next month.The aQuellé Midmar Mile takes place from 10-13 February and Kinghorn is eager for a return to the podium. “I always strive to win. So I will definitely put everything into the race and see how I do,” said the Durban swimmer. “However I always ensure that it remains a fun-filled day.” Thousands of … [Read more...] about Kinghorn eager for return to Midmar podium

On Saturday, 18 December 2021 Chad le Clos added a silver medal to the bronze he won on Thursday at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi.The 29-year-old came close to clinching a fifth straight world title in the 100m butterfly, but missed out by just 17 hundredths of a second to Italian Matteo Rivolta on Saturday. Le Clos was quickest off the blocks but well down after the first turn. His second and third turns were far better, but he still had some catching up to do in the final … [Read more...] about Le Clos adds silver to his world champs haul

On Saturday, 18 December 2021 Chad le Clos added a silver medal to the bronze he won on Thursday at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi.The 29-year-old came close to clinching a fifth straight world title in the 100m butterfly, but missed out by just 17 hundredths of a second to Italian Matteo Rivolta on Saturday. Le Clos was quickest off the blocks but well down after the first turn. His second and third turns were far better, but he still had some catching up to do in the final … [Read more...] about Le Clos adds silver to his world champs haul

Chad le Clos kept the SA flag flying with a podium performance on the opening day of the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, 16 December 2021.The former Olympic champion who is still recovering from a knee injury said before the start of the event, he was hoping to “nick a little bronze” and he did just that, finishing third behind Italy’s Alberto Razzetti in the 200m butterfly. After a great start, Le Clos led through the first 50m but had dropped out of the top three by … [Read more...] about World short course bronze for le Clos

Tumi Macdonell and Ruard van Renen emerged as the country’s top-performing young swimmers at the recent AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Maseru, Lesotho.Macdonell returned to South Africa with a haul of seven individual medals – five of them gold, while Van Renen claimed eight individual medals in total, six of them gold. Athletes from 10 countries competed in the Region 5 Games across 11 sporting codes. And while Team South Africa were withdrawn from the event prior to the finish because of Covid … [Read more...] about SA Rule the Pool