Pieter Coetzé snatches the first World Aquatics Championships qualifying time at the SA National Championships
The National Championships are happening at Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha from 9-13 April.
Pieter Coetzé became the first swimmer to claim a World Aquatics Championships qualifying time at the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha on Wednesday, 9 April 2025. Picture: Roger Sedres.
JOHANNESBURG – Olympic finalist Pieter Coetzé became the first swimmer to claim a World Aquatics Championships qualifying time at the SA National Swimming Championships.
The National Championships are happening at Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha from 9-13 April.
READ: New era dawns as rising stars take centre stage at SA Swimming Championships
On Wednesday, the 20-year-old dipped under the 100m backstroke qualifying mark in the morning heat in 53.03 seconds and then went even quicker in the final, taking the win ahead of Ruard van Renen in a time of 52.71 seconds.
The University of Pretoria student athlete was 16 when he qualified for the Olympics and made his debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the youngest South African male swimmer to compete at an Olympic Games.
Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh were 20 when they represented the country at the Games for the first time in London 2012 and Beijing 2008, respectively.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he reached the finals in the 100m and 200m backstroke.
He told swimsa.org he wasn’t sure what to expect at the national champs after not racing since October.
“I was a bit scared of being a bit rusty, and I’m very happy with that for now,” he said after the final.
“This morning felt very smooth, so I knew I was probably going to dip under 53 [seconds]. It was just a question of how far I could go under 53. It would have been nicer to go even faster, but compared to what I was thinking might happen after so many months of not racing, this is amazing and I’ll take it.”
The Olympian made his international breakthrough at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where he won gold in the 100m backstroke, silver in the 50m and bronze in the 200m event.
That year he was crowned 200m backstroke champion at the World Junior Championships in Lima, where he raked in five medals in total – gold, three silver and bronze.
Coetzé storms to World Champs qualifier on opening day of swimming action in Gqeberha: https://t.co/iD2aWGED0v
— Swimming South Africa (@SwimSouthAfrica) April 9, 2025
Photo Credits: @rogersedres#PressRelease pic.twitter.com/J4M3D2gPCz
The women’s 100m backstroke title was won by 17-year-old Jessica Thompson, who outstroked Milla Drakopoulos to win in a time of 1:01.68. Drakopoulos was second in 1:01.92.
With Tatjana Smith having retired and Lara van Niekerk injured, Rebecca Meder claimed her first national 100m breaststroke title in the long course pool, winning in a time of 1:07.50.
SA’s top para-swimmers delivered standout performances, breaking senior national records in the morning heats and then surpassing those times again in the evening finals.
Paralympian Kat Swanepoel impressed with a new SB4 50m breaststroke record of 1:07.54, followed by another national mark of 1:53.91 in the S5 100m backstroke final. Alani Ferreira also starred, setting a new SB12 50m breaststroke record with a time of 38.76 seconds.