Rising South African backstroke star Pieter Coetze has announced his upcoming major meet race schedule, which featured the recently completed China Open, the South African Trials (National Championships), and the Commonwealth Games, leaving the door open for a potential appearance at the Pan Pacific Championships later in the calendar year.
Coetze announced on Instagram that he was using the China Open as a tune-up meet to see where he was at ahead of the South African Trials in April.
At that China Open, Coetze swept all three backstroke events, winning the 50 backstroke (24.93), 100 backstroke (52.73), and 200 backstroke (1:55.57).
The South African star is coming off a massive 2025 campaign, which saw him secure his first-ever world championships title by winning the 100 back in Singapore in a lifetime best of 51.85, and adding runner-up finishes in both the 50 back (24.17) and 200 back (1:53.36).
A week before that, he had competed at the World University Games, winning the 50 and 100 backstroke events in 24.49 and 51.99, respectively, and adding a 2nd place finish in the 100 free.
In his announcement video, he points to the Commonwealth Games as his main goal for the year, an event that both the China Open and the South African Trials will prepare him for.
He mentions that those are the three events that he knows of “so far”, keeping his options open for later major international meets, including the Pan Pacific Championships, which follow the Commonwealth Games in early August. A meet where he won his first major international medal of his career, taking gold in the 100 backstroke in 2022 (53.67).
“With my studies and everything else, I don’t know if I’ll be able to make [Pan Pacs] yet, hopefully I can.” Coetze said.
He also mentioned the World Cup as a potential racing spot towards the end of the year, but has his sights set on the nearer future, which lies in both the South African Trials and the Commonwealth Games.
This dude is jacked
I think Coetzee made the right decision by not coming to USA to swim NCAA but his no show the start of Cal’s decline? Or when Cal combined women with men, the start?
Can’t believe the Canadians haven’t prioritised the Com Games.
Summer McIntosh is only “Canadian” when the Olympics come around. She lives in the US 95% of the time.
Weird. I thought she grew up in Canada. 95%? My math must be bad.
Good thing he didn’t say anything about growing up did he
Same with most other non American swimmers
Sorry most other non American swimmers spend 95% of their time in America? You must be a troll.
It always fascinates me how Americans on here can simultaneously believe “swimming isn’t popular in the US and our swimmers get no support or resources” but also “any successful swimmer in the world is only successful because of USA’s superior resources and support”
Amazing that they keep trotting this out when Worlds was dominated last year especially on the men’s side by athletes that don’t train in the US.
By this logic, any person in the world who spends longer than a year in the US should automatically be considered a citizen, even if they don’t want to be.
Surprisingly woke of you! #OpenBorders
100m backstroke prediction:
that top 2 very hard to separate, though. I’m going home advantage
I think it might take sub 53 to medal and as much as Allan is a huge talent, is he ready for that?
Who else swimming at CommGames is in the conversation for a medal? Genuinely asking, because there’s not that many good eligible backstrokers in the Commonwealth
Edit: Also adding that the top 3 in 2022 Birmingham was:
CoetzeBrodie Williams (retired)Bradley Woodward (who I think Henry can beat)
Aside from the top 2, this is a very open field and I genuinely think Henry could get bronze if he is the Australian #1 heading into this competition.
Tierney (52.9) if going to CGs and Marshall (53.0).
Tierney isn’t going I don’t think.
Marshall, Skerry (53.3 in 2025) and Brooker (53.6 2025) will all be fighting for the England spot(s) behind Morgan. Heard very high expectations surrounding Skerry this year. Matt Ward (53.5 in 2025) will go for Scotland.
Perhaps Ruard van Renen can have a serious LC season? Big performances at NCAAs
Ah I see. Well I’m still hoping Henry can get that 3rd!
I know that the Republic of Ireland isn’t part of the Commonwealth, but Northern Ireland is. Daniel Wiffen competes internationally for Ireland, yet he represented Northern Ireland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. If that’s the case—and if he is eligible to represent Northern Ireland—John Shortt could also be a strong contender for medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke events.
The top 2 are hard to separate except if you look at the difference in their PBs or the difference in their medal tallies. Then you have a clear advantage in one’s favour.
Agree with this, one caveat being that Morgan was injured before Worlds last year, that injury forced him out of Sette Colli and he was very close to pulling out of Worlds entirely, so his 2025 PB may be under-playing him a tad.
Everyone on here considers Comm Games to be irrelevant but I’ve said numerous times that Commonwealth nations care about them, and winning a Commonwealth Games medal matters a lot more than a Pan PACs medal in the eyes of the public. Chalmers has already said he’s only doing comm games and there will be more announcements to come
I’d say this is the case in swimming for all nations other than Canada. In Athletics (T&F), indications from GBs big names are that they’re prioritising Europeans and some (E.g. Hodgkinson) won’t attend commies at all, despite it being at ‘home’. Suspect only the Scots will take it that seriously.
Yeah I was specifically talking about CGs vs Pan Pacs for swimming. Euros definitely considered more important by European nations than Pan Pacs are by non-Europeans.
Keely Hodgkinson won’t want to do Commonwealth Games because it brings the Kenyans into play. They are her nemesis. Mary Moraa defeated Hodgkinson at 2022 Commonwealth Games with one of the most bizarre 800 strategies of all time. That race plagued Keely and gave Moraa the upper hand for a long time.
Keely seemingly had finally emerged from that funk when Moraa and Lilian Odira double teamed her at last year’s world championships. Big upset. This year without a global final the Kenyans will target Commonwealth Games. They have already established an ambitious medal target and will have high numbers at 800 including Sarah Moraa.
No reason for Keely to risk that type of mess when she can… Read more »
I don’t think Hodgkinson fears the Kenyan girls, she has never backed down from a race – She had 1 run before 2025 Worlds and hadn’t raced before that for a year due to a serious injury. Then she went and fell for Moraa’s tricks in the World Final and got beat. She knows she got it wrong, because she also lost to her teammate whom she usually beats by half the straight (I’ve watched them training at St Mary’s Uni many times). I believe the reason is because Euros is in England, and last time she did 3 majors in a year she got said serious injury.
Hodgkinson has actually indicated interest in representing England in just the 4×400 at commonwealths so this isn’t strictly true but she has seemed to rule out the 800 as the events are so close together.
The European Athletics championships are also in England this year which is also a big factor you have ignored where English athletes will also want to prioritise this.
Hi; I spoke to her in Glasgow a couple of months ago after she ran a low-key race at the Emirates track and she said her chances of going to the CWG are slim as she won’t run individually and quota places for team England are too restrictive to take her solely for a relay, plus she doesn’t want to put her body under too much stress again.
How is South Africa included in Pan Pacs? Is my geography bad or is this a Australia-joining-Eurovision sort of situation?
Pan Pacs is open to any non-European nation.
I see how it is…
Pan Pacs can kinda do whatever they want, but in general, they’ve expanded the definition to be “anyone but Europe.” South Africa has competed several times in the past. I think they need to revamp/reenvision the meet – it seems like it really just exists for the U.S. at this point.
agreed and even they chose a team 12 months out.
1999 will remain the best Pan Pacs edition in its history held in Sydney .. it felt elevated and a real exciting competition everyday .. the first time in a while the Aussie men beat USA in 4×100 free relay
The Goodwill games in Brisbane in 2001 was fun too. Loved going to watch my favourite swimmers. RIP Goodwill
Value Village Games