The Final Tally Has 11 South African Men, 0 Women, Qualified for Rio

SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (SA OLYMPIC TRIALS)

Wayne Riddin contributed to this report:

The final day at the 2016 South African Olympic Trials was an explosion of qualifiers. In total, 5 new individual swims were earned in Rio on Saturday, the 7th and final day of the meet. That makes up over a third of the total number of Olympic swims earned throughout the week.

The final stand is at 11 men qualified for the Games, and no women – as stark of a gender-gap as there is in international swimming.

Olympic Qualifying Times following Day 07:

  • Sebastien Rousseau – 400m individual medley – 4:14.75
  • Michael Meyer – 400m individual medley – 4:15.71
  • Myles Brown – 400m freestyle – 3:48.86
  • Cameron van der Burgh – 100m breaststroke – 59.66
  • Christopher Reid – 100m backstroke – 53.13
  • Chad le Clos – 200m freestyle – 1:47.75
  • Chad le Clos – 200m butterfly  – 1:55,04
  • Cameron van der Burgh – 200m breaststroke – 2:10,13
  • Jarred Crous – 200m breaststroke – 2:11,65
  • Brad Tandy – 50m freestyle – 22,13
  • Douglas Erasmus – 50m freestyle – 22,26
  • Chad le Clos – 100m butterfly – 51,81
  • Matthew Meyer – 1500m freestyle – 15:09,58
  • Myles Brown – 200m freestyle – 1:47,53

Paralympic Qualifying Times following Day 07:

  • Kevin Paul (SM10) – 200m individual medley – 2:15.78
  • Kevin Paul (SB9) – 100m breaststroke – 1:05.10
  • Johann van Heerden (SB9) – 100m breaststroke – 1:12.64
  • Alani Ferreira (SM13) – 200m individual medley – 2:50.43
  • Alani Ferreira (S13) – 400m freestyle – 5:21.00 (heats)
  • Alani Ferreira (SB13) – 100m breaststroke – 1:26.90
  • Emily Gray (S9) – 400m freestyle – 5:05.36 (heats)
  • Emily Gray (S10) – 100m backstroke – 1:17.17
  • Craig Groenewald (SB14) – 100m breaststroke – 1:12.33
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) – 100m backstroke – 1:16.84
  • Shireen Sapiro (S10) – 100m backstroke – 1:11.87
  • Achmat Hassiem (S10) – 100m butterfly – 1:00,44
  • Alani Ferreira (S13) – 100m butterfly – 1:23,37
  • Beth Nothling (S5) – 50m backstroke – 54,47
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) – 100m freestyle – 1:00,01
  • Hendri Herbst (S11) – 50m freestyle – 27,02
  • Adri Visser (S5) – 50m butterfly – 51,62

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JT
7 years ago

Opportunities or lack thereof for both genders are identical! We as a society need to consider what else it could be! Stop pointing fingers and maybe embrace and make our/your daughters belive that they are incredible! Gender stuff starts at home and reinforced by society!! We are decades behind tthe Aussies regarding this simple parenting process!
Lazy observer there is mo money in swimming so males can t benefit more..

Willem
Reply to  JT
7 years ago

I agree. I have two daughters. The oldest – 13 year old – won silver in the Elite Youth for 100 Fly at this year’s Nationals. She can decide to sit back and accept that she won’t make it because no woman made it for Rio, or she can decide to work harder than before and make sure she is ready by 2020. Money will play a major role – but it cannot be an excuse. She needs to challenge herself against international times and not against SA standards, because like it or not, our SA standards have deteriorated over that last 20 years!

M C PRINSLOO
Reply to  Willem
7 years ago

In 2014 my daughter swam better times in three items than the Olympic A times? Why didn’t she qualify a least one item!
Why didn’t they look after her properly and asked questions when they saw something is wrong., that is besides injuries!
They have to look at the program also because the wrong program will give negative results. She, as well as other girls
work hard every day at training, but get no results, why???????????????????

Keith swim
7 years ago

Victor, I do not see as to why you had to bring gender equality into this matter…

Victor P
7 years ago

And the point is….

I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t be written if the results were 11 women qualified, 0 men.

Lazy Observer
Reply to  Victor P
7 years ago

I believe the point would be: if you invest the majority of resources in training young male swimmers, you will remain noncompetitive against countries that invest in the development of all genders.

Why does that assertion upset anyone? Did anyone say, “Take away some of the men’s spots and give them to women?” No. The point was made that when 100% of your qualifying Olympic hopefuls in a sport are of one gender, there is probably more going on than mere laziness on the part of their female athletes.

Put another way, if there is a Katie Ledecky, Sarah Sjostrom or Cate Campbell in South Africa today, no one is training or funding her. Shakespeare’s sister and all of that.

London Calling
Reply to  Lazy Observer
7 years ago

That’s some allegations there..

Billabong
Reply to  Lazy Observer
7 years ago

That’s why you call yourself the lazy observer. I like the honesty.

Billabong
Reply to  Lazy Observer
7 years ago

SA do have a younger version of Cate Campbell. Unfortunately she was injured for most of the year.

Chris
7 years ago

congrats to the qualifiers.. i don’t see any controversy here

About Braden Keith

Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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