2018 South African SC C’ships: Le Clos Cruises, Gallagher Snags Record

2018 South African Short Course Championships

• Thursday, August 9th – Sunday, August 12th
• Kings Park Aquatics Centre, Durban, South Africa
• SCM
• Short Course World Championships Selection Criteria (South Africa)
• Live Results

Action began yesterday in Durban, where South African swimmers are vying for selection to their nation’s squad for the 14th FINA Short Course World Championships in China this December. After just the first day of competition, 6 swimmers notched consideration times in their respective events to get the championships started off on a positive note. Per the South African selection criteria, the 1st and 2nd placed athletes at these championships may be considered for selection to China only if they achieve the qualifying time.

The SC Worlds qualifying times for South African swimmers are at the bottom of this post.

Olympic gold medalist Chad Le Clos proved fastest in the men’s 100m freestyle event, logging a winning effort of 46.45. That time surged well beneath the qualifying time of 47.78, even as the 26-year-old already logged a prelims QT of 47.63. His teammate Zane Waddell, formerly of the University of Alabama, also dipped under the time cut with a mark of 47.54 of his own. That checks in as Waddell’s fastest time ever in the event, although Le Clos’ personal best rests at the 45.78 he notched at the World Cup Berlin last year.

The women’s edition of the 100m free also saw a racer qualify for SC Worlds in the form of Erin Gallagher from the Seagulls. Gallagher took the gold in 53.34 to represent the only swimmer under the 54-second threshold. She earned the top seed in the morning heats with a solid 54.95, but her evening effort checks-in as a new South African national record.

In the men’s 200m breaststroke event, veteran Ayrton Sweeney slid under the QT by the narrowest of margins, taking the victory in a time of 2:06.81. That successfully dipped under the 2:06.83 time cut by just .02 as the Seagulls swimmer signified the only man of the field to go sub-2:10. Sweeney’s time produced a big personal best, as his previous career fastest sat at the 2:08.09 he produced at the Moscow World Cup stop last year.

The final 2 qualification times came in the women’s 200m breaststroke, led by Commonwealth Games champion Tatjana Schoenmaker. The 21-year-old missed the South African national record by just .20, as she registered a winning time of 2:18.93. However, her outing smashed the QT of 2:24.60 to give her complete confidence of making the Short Course Worlds team. Behind her was 20-year-old teammate Emily Visagie who clocked 2:23.03 to also dip under the qualifying threshold.