Pieter Coetze Goes 5-for-5 to wrap up South African Championships
Pieter Coetze wrapped up a 5-for-5 performance at the South African Championships on the final day of the meet in Gqeberha on Saturday.
Coetze’s swims gave South Africa 13 individuals qualifying for this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 24 events. Coetze leads the field with five, swimming the 50 and 100 freestyle and all three backstroke events.
Coetze capped a fast week at the Bombela Concession Company South Africa National Aquatic Championships at Newton Park Swimming Pool. The Pretoria swimmer won the 200 back on the final day of the meet, his time of 1:55.26 dominating the field by more than 7.5 seconds.
Four swimmers added their names to the Commonwealth Games roster on the final day of the meet. Hannah Pearse delivered a time of 2:10.92, just a half-second off her career-best, to book a spot at the championship meet.
The other two qualifiers on the final day came in the women’s 50 butterfly. Erin Gallagher hit the qualifying time in prelims at 25.56, then came back to win the final in 25.63. Caitlin De Lange also assured her spot in the morning and backed it by going two tenths faster at night to finish second in 25.98. Third was Jessica Thompson in 26.40.
A day after earning a place at Commonwealths in the 50 freestyle, Calvyn Justus secured his first national title in a decade by winning the 50 fly in 23.68. He was .01 seconds ahead of fellow veteran Chad le Clos. The latter fell shy of his goal of qualifying for a fifth Commonwealth Games at age 34.
Dune Coetzee repeated as the women’s 400 freestyle in 4:11.35, with 800 free winner Callan Lotter in second place. In the men’s 400 free, Matthew Caldwell picked up his third distance freestyle win of the meet in 3:53.02. He was less than two seconds up on Arno Kruger.
South African Commonwealth Games qualifiers
- Aimee Canny: 200 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 200 individual medley
- Pieter Coetzé: 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke, 200 backstroke, 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle
- Kaylene Corbett: 200 breaststroke
- Cailtin de Lange: 50 freestyle, 50 butterfly
- Erin Gallagher: 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly
- Michael Houlie: 50 breaststroke
- Calvyn Justus: 50 freestyle
- Rebecca Meder: 200 individual medley
- Hannah Pearse: 200 backstroke
- Chris Smith: 50 breaststroke
- Jessica Thompson: 50 backstroke, 50 freestyle
- Lara van Niekerk: 50 breaststroke
- Ruard van Renen: 50 backstroke, 100 backstroke
