2019 SWIMMING SOUTH AFRICA GRAND PRIX #2 – STELLENBOSCH
- Friday, February 22nd – Sunday, February 24th
- Stellenbosch, South Africa
- LCM
- SwimSwam Preview
- Day 1 Recap
- Results: Meet Mobile – 2019 Grand Prix Invitational Swimming Meet
South African Commonwealth Games gold medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker entered the world rankings yesterday with her 1:07.11 performance in the 100m breaststroke, but she opted out of finals on day 2 in Stellenbosch.
While competing in the prelims of South African Grand Prix #2, the 21-year-old took the top spot in the 200m distance with a mark of 2:25.24. That outing places Schoenmaker among the top 10 performers in the world this year.
2018-2019 LCM WOMEN 200 BREAST
EFIMOVA
2.20.17
| 2 | Annie LAZOR | USA | 2.20.77 | 05/19 |
| 3 | Evgenia CHIKUNOVA | RUS | 2.21.07 | 07/04 |
| 4 | Lilly KING | USA | 2.21.39 | 05/31 |
| 5 | Tatjana SCHOENMAKER | RSA | 2.21.79 | 07/25 |
| 6 | Bethany GALAT | USA | 2.21.84 | 08/08 |
| 7 | Shiwen YE | CHN | 2.22.53 | 04/28 |
| 8 | Sydney PICKREM | CAN | 2.22.63 | 04/03 |
| 9 | Kelsey WOG | CAN | 2.22.82 | 04/03 |
| 10 | Emily ESCOBEDO | USA | 2.22.87 | 07/09 |
Taking the 200m breast title in Schoenmaker’s absence in the final, however, was Kaylene Corbett. 19-year-old Corbett fired off a huge new personal best mark of 2:25.98 to take gold in Stellenbosch and represent the only swimmer of the field to delve under the 2:30 barrier.
Entering this meet, Corbett’s personal best stood at the 2:27.68 she logged on the Gold Coast in the semi-finals at last year’s Commonwealth Games. She ultimately clocked a slower 2:29.40 for 8th place in that final. Her new PB of 2:25.98 earned here in her home nation, however, now ranks her 9th in the world this season.
National record holder Erin Gallagher collected 2 more wins on day 2 in Stellenbosch, first in the women’s 100m free event. Scoring the top seed in 55.54, Gallagher sliced more time off to come away with the top prize in 55.29.
Splitting 26.04/29.15, Gallagher was the only sub-56 swimmer of the final field. The Seagulls swimmer was faster at the Grand Prix #1 last month in Nelspruit, where she notched a 100m free winning time there of 54.94. That mark remains in the top 25 performances in the world this season.
Gallagher’s next victim was the 50m fly, where she won in a mark of 26.67, just .03 off her fastest of the season.
Rebecca Meder took the women’s 400m IM in 4:50.24, while 16-year-old Dune Coetzee touched the wall first in the women’s 200m fly in 2:13.09.
Visiting swimmers Holly Hibbott and Thomas Howdle of Great Britain’s Stockport Metro club each racked up a win on day 2. Hibbott scored the winning time of 4:12.77 to take the women’s 400m free by over 10 seconds.
Hibbott took silver in this same 400m free event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games behind winner Ariarne Titmus of Australia, clocking 4:05.31 for runner-up status on the Gold Coast.
For Howdle, he registered a mark of 55.02 to win the men’s 100m fly in Stellenbosch in a new personal best by .33.
South Africa’s Ayrton Sweeney was victorious across both the men’s 200m free and 200m IM events, wining the former in 1:52.09 and the latter in 2:03.79. In that 200m free, Sweeney tied Stockport Metro’s Kyle Chisholm, who also touched in 1:52.09 for co-gold.
