Local swimmers Ian Venter and Amica de Jager dominated the weekend’s Nelson Mandela Bay Aquatics Open Water Swimming (OWS) Championships at Marina Martinique with de Jager winning both the 10km and the 5km ladies championships titles whilst Venter claimed the 3km and 5km Men’s titles.
It was a well supported Championships swum at the picturesque Marina just outside Jeffreys Bay which will be home to the South African OWS National Championships for the 2nd year in just under a month’s time.
Provincial swimming teams are selected for the SA Championships based on swimmers having had to attain Swim SA open water qualifying time during the season. The qualifying times for this season were set as follows; 10 km Men 2 hours 30 minutes, Women 2 hours 40 minutes; 5 km Men 1 hour 15 minutes, Women 1 hour 25 minutes, Men Multi Disability 1 hour 40 minutes and Woman Multi Disability 1 hour 50 minutes, 3 km Men 48 minutes, 3 Women 50 minutes , Men Multi Disability 60 minutes, Woman Multi Disability 65 minutes, Masters Men (31 & over) 52 minutes, Masters Women (31 & over) 54 minutes.
Only 3 female participants contested the 10km championships on Saturday with Liquid Lines swimmer De Jager uncontested and winning in a time of 2:17:54 ahead of Border swimmers Chloe Velde (2:34:44) and Madison Malherbe (2:35:00). In the 3km Championship swim, Aquabear swim club’s Ian Venter dominated in a time of 36:37 ahead of Bay Eagle Swim Club’s Flippie Van Der Spuy and PEA swimmer Dennis De Villiers whilst Payton Horton snatched the ladies title in a time of 39:50 ahead of Tasneen Ebrahim and Jessica Beukes.
On Sunday the swimmers returned to contest the 5km Championship race with the men keeping the same 3 positions as the day before seeing Venter winning in a time of 1:02:42 ahead of Van Der Spuy and De Villiers whilst De Jager took the ladies 5km Title in a time of 1:03:16 ahead of Horton and Ebrahim.
Swimmers will now be eagerly awaiting the announcement of the Provincial team at the end of the week and then getting ready for the 94th River Mile taking place on Sunday 18th February at Sunday’s River. Both Venter and de Jager are defending champions and it top form but the history books show that the River Mile Title doesn’t often go the way of the top seeds. Whilst swum over a distance of 1,6km, the river is very tidal and understanding the river and swimming the right course is what makes a river mile champion. The race is also swum at a blistering pace due to the tidal effect with the winners anticipated to swim the Mile in under 13 minutes.
See www.zsports.co.za for all the Championship results and for further information on the upcoming River Mile.
OWS Marina Martinique Results from Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th February 2018
NMB Aquatics 10km Swim Champs
Ladies: 1 Amica De Jager (2:17:54); 2 Chloe Velde (2:34:44); 3 Madison Malherbe (2:35:00);
NMB Aquatics 5km Swim Champs
Men: 1 Ian Venter (1:02:42); 2 Flippie Van Der Spuy (1:03:13); 3 Dennis De Villiers (1:03:19); 4 Josh Tucker (1:07:23); 5 Kyle White (1:07:26); 6 Heinrich Vorster (1:08:21); 7 Luke Norris (1:12:23); 8 Wietske Van Der Westhuizen (1:12:26); 9 Deacon Kingman (1:12:28); 10 Joshua Orsmond (1:14:30); 11 Stephan Vorster (1:14:41); 12 Hayden Holmes (1:16:43); 13 Ethan Harris (1:19:02);
Ladies: 1 Amica De Jager (1:03:16); 2 Payton Horton (1:07:46); 3 Tasneen Ebrahim (1:07:57); 4 Jessica Booth (1:08:20); 5 Tayla Botha (1:08:28); 6 Paige T Black (1:08:48); 7 Hannah Counihan (1:12:23); 8 Hannah Haswell (1:12:25); 9 Jessica Beukes (1:12:39); 10 Shaelyn Walker (1:12:47); 11 Michell Strydom (1:12:49); 12 Kathryn Nurse (1:16:12); 13 Zanli Klopper (1:16:41); 14 Tyra Roozendaal (1:16:45);
NMB Aquatics 5km Disabled Swim Champs
1 Stanford Slabbert (1:40:20);
NMB Aquatics 3km Swim Champs
Men: 1 Ian Venter (36:37); 2 Flippie Van Der Spuy (37:40); 3 Dennis De Villiers (37:43); 4 Kyle White (40:12); 5 Josh Tucker (41:28); 6 Joshua Orsmond (41:35); 7 Heinrich Vorster (41:36); 8 Deacon Kingman (43:20); 9 Luke Norris (43:56); 10 Wietske Van Der Westhuizen (43:56); 11 Christian Appels (44:53); 12 Barry Serfontein (44:57); 13 Mc Strydom (45:07); 14 Ethan Harris (45:08); 15 Pj Duffy (45:13); 16 J C Van Wyk (46:07); 17 Greg Hough (46:45); 18 Stephan Vorster (48:08); 19 Greg Tucker (50:16); 20 Kenneth Pattinson (50:17);
Ladies: 1 Payton Horton (39:50); 2 Tasneen Ebrahim (40:00); 3 Jessica Beukes (40:04); 4 Paige T Black (40:06); 5 Jessica Booth (40:14); 6 Hannah Counihan (40:37); 7 Michell Strydom (42:47); 8 Kathryn Nurse (42:48); 9 Shaelyn Walker (43:13); 10 Zanli Klopper (43:18); 11 Teagan Pio (44:12); 12 Denise Bosman (44:55); 13 Tyra Roozendaal (45:18); 14 Robyn Hough (46:24); 15 Claire Amner (46:28); 16 Jean Degenaar (47:16);
NMB Aquatics 3km Disabled Swim Champs
1 Stanford Slabbert (57:10);
THE SWIM SERIES RESULTS – Marina Martininique, Round 5, Sunday 4th February 2018
1km Swim
Men: 1 Seth De Swardt (14:16); 2 Noah De Swart (15:46); 3 Gareth MacLear (15:51); 4 Albert Klopper (18:16); 5 Meyer Prinsloo (19:07); 6 Gareth Bosman (19:36); 7 Reon Van Rensburg (23:25); 8 Robert Leonard (30:31); 9 Ilse Krige (31:01);
Ladies: 1 Teegan Pio (14:12); 2 Chelsea Main (17:21); 3 Quinlee Collins (17:30); 4 Minique Compaan (18:17); 5 Tracy MacLear (20:35);
3km Swim
Men: 1 Martin Wolmarans (43:30); 2 Mc Strydom (47:45); 3 Pj Duffy (47:58);
Ladies: 1 Jean Degenaar (48:49); 2 Claire Amner (48:51); 3 Jennifer Anderton (53:38);
550m Swim
1 Kaitlynne Horne (09:19); 2 Divan Du Plooy (09:38); 3 James MacLear (10:45); 4 Richard MacLear (10:55);
Alan Straton
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