SA swimmers battle for honours, Olympic qualifying at national champs

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa’s top swimmers battled it out in Gqeberha at the National Championships, which served as Paralympic and Olympic trials ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris later this year.

Aimee Canny, Pieter Coetzé, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher and Tatjana Smith (Tatjana Schoenmaker, now swimming under her married name, Smith) swam away with Paris qualifying times by the end of the championships that took place from 8 April to 13 April.

The Para swimmers also impressed on Friday, with both Christian Sadie and Nathan Hendricks adding to their Paralympic qualifying times.

Sadie achieved his in the morning heats of the SM7 200m individual medley in a time of 2:38.45 while Hendricks swam two qualifying times in the SM13 200m individual medley – once in the heats (2:18.19) and then took over a second off that time in the final (2:17.15).

The Para swimmers wrapped up the championships on Saturday with Kat Swanepoel climbing to the top of the world rankings in the S4 50m backstroke after finishing in 48.14 seconds in the morning heats and then went even quicker with a time of 47.16 seconds in the evening final.

Sadie, who already qualified in the S7 50m butterfly on Friday, bettered that mark in a time trial on Saturday, swimming 29.97 seconds to rise to second spot in the world rankings.

Swimmers who have achieved Olympic qualifying times at the SA Championships 2024:

Aimee Canny (200m freestyle)

Pieter Coetzé (100m backstroke, 200m backstroke)

Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke)

Erin Gallagher (100m butterfly)

Tatjana Smith (100m breaststroke, 200m breaststroke)

Swimmers who have achieved Paralympics qualifying times at the SA Championships 2024:

Christian Sadie (SM7 200m, S7 50m)

Nathan Hendricks (SM13 200m)

Kat Swanepoel (S4 50m)