2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
- World Aquatics Championships Arena
- LCM (50m)
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Erin Gallagher was the sole African swimmer in the semi-finals tonight, as she made her way back to the semi-finals of the women’s 100 fly for the second year in a row.
After placing 9th this morning with her second-fastest swim ever in 57.48, she ended up finishing 13th in the semi-finals, just over half a second away from a place in the top eight. Her swim of 57.68 was her 6th-fastest ever, and both swims today were faster than she managed at the Olympic Games last summer.
Her African record still stands at the 57.32 she swam at last year’s South African nationals, but eight of her ten fastest swims have now come in the last 24 months.
Top 10 South African Women’s LCM 100 Butterfly Performances All-Time
- 57.32 – Erin Gallagher, 2024 South African Nationals
- 57.48 – Erin Gallagher, 2025 World Championships Prelims
- 57.59 – Erin Gallagher, 2024 World Championships Prelims
- 57.64 – Erin Gallagher, 2023 World University Games
- 57.67 – Erin Gallagher, 2019 South African Nationals
- 57.68– Erin Gallagher, 2024 World Championships Semis
- 57.80 – Erin Gallagher, 2024 Olympics Prelims
- 57.83 – Erin Gallagher, 2024 World Championships
- 57.84 – Erin Gallagher, 2023 South African Nationals
- 57.90 – Erin Gallagher, 2024 Olympic Semis
Gallagher owns the 12 fastest swims done by a South African swimmer, and after plateauing slightly following setting her first African Record in the event back in 2019, has really come into her own. She finished 7th in the final in Doha last year, but has made the latter rounds at three championships in a row now, finishing 7th, 14th and 13th.
After the success that South Africa had at the World University Games last week, the future is looking up.
Other Day 1 African Highlights:
- Namibia’s Ronan Wantenaar was just a tenth of a second off his National Record in the 100 breaststroke with a heats swim of 1:00.63, which was just 0.65 seconds off qualifying for the semi-finals. Africa has not had a swimmer make it through to the latter rounds in breaststroke at a long course world championships since Cameron van der Burgh retired. Wantenaar was 27.05 in the 50 breast at the Monaco stop of the Mare Nostrum back in May, so may be able to progress in that event later this week.
National Records
- Jesse Ssengonzi (Uganda): Men’s 50 fly – 24.32
- Adam Moncherry (Seychelles): Men’s 50 fly – 24.84
- Haniel Kudwoli (Kenya): Men’s 100 breast – 1:04.92
- Zach Moyo (Zambia): Men’s 100 breast – 1:05.64
- Anas Ganedi (Libya): Men’s 100 breast – 1:09.89
Overall Medal Table Through Day One:
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 |
Australia
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 2 | Canada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 | Germany | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | U.S. | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 5 | China | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 5 | Italy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | South Korea | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Meder was 10th in the 200im
Chris Smith set a PB in the 100m breast