Matt Sates finished with 10 individual gold medals while Rebecca Meder claimed her sixth on the final day of the SA Short Course Championships on Sunday.
Meder powered to victory in the 400m individual medley in a time of 4:36.79 to also complete her trio of A qualification times for the World Short Course Championships in December in all the medley events.
“I enjoyed it, but it burned a heck of a lot,” she admitted afterwards. “My best before this was a 4:37 so this is a PB [personal best]. As a 200IM swimmer, I’m supposed to be doing the 400IM so I’m glad I’m back. I’m done and dusted now on a big bang so I’m happy.
16-year-old Dakota Tucker finished second with a B qualifying time of 4:43.06.
Sates took the first of his three titles on Sunday in the men’s 400m individual medley. His impressive 4:07.93 was over a second under the A qualifying time for the World Championships.
“I wasn’t really expecting to go that fast especially because I didn’t push that hard in the other strokes – I was just holding on for the free,” he said after the race.
“I think I can go quite a bit faster if I really have my mind focused on it.”
Second-placed Ruan Ras (4:15.95) and third-placed Danté Nortjé (4:16.07) both dipped under the B qualifying mark.
Lara van Niekerk completed her breaststroke clean sweep by claiming victory in the 100m event in 1:05.00. That was her third A qualifying time, which will see her competing in all three breaststroke events at the World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi.
“I was hoping to go 1:04 but I can’t complain with 1:05.00 – I’m happy… I’m very excited [about the World Short Course Championships]. It’s going to be my first senior international meet so I’m really looking forward to it,” added the 18-year-old.
Second-placed Emily Visage claimed another B qualifying time after finishing in 1:08.43.
Meanwhile, Sates and Pieter Coetzé once again went head-to-head, this time in the final of the 50m freestyle. Having dueled each other over the distance in various relays over the last few days, the tally stood 2-1 in Coetzé’s favour, but Sates made sure to level matters with victory in the individual event, with both teenagers dipping under 22 seconds – Sates in 21.96 with Coetzé second in 21.99. Both swimmers, and third-placed Guy Brooks (22.01) were under the B qualifying mark.
“We’ll have to do a tie-breaker,” reckoned Coetzé afterwards with a laugh.
“Me and Pieter always enjoy racing against each other, and it makes it a bit more interesting for everyone to watch,” added Sates, who later added the 100m breaststroke title to his haul of 10 golds. Having not swum the event in two years, he dipped under the one-minute mark for the first time, claiming victory in a B qualifying time of 59.11.
Pretoria swimmer Caitlin de Lange took the women’s 50m freestyle title, and as she did in the morning heats, dipped under the World Championships B qualifying time, touching in 25.32.
Visually impaired swimmer Cornell Leach used the final day of competition to break several more national records, this time in the S12 100m freestyle and the SM12 200m individual medley.
Minke Janse van Rensburg also claimed two more junior world records for Down syndrome swimmers – in the 25m and 100m freestyle.
Swimmers who have achieved World Short Course Championships A qualifying times at this event:
Pieter Coetzé: 50, 100m & 200m backstroke, 100m individ (pictured here)
Matt Sates: 100m, 200m & 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 400m individual medley
Lara van Niekerk: 50m, 100m & 200m breaststroke
News supplied.