Jessica Thompson Breaks South African Women’s 50 Back National Record

2026 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS

• March 16th – March 20th
• Newton Park, Gqeberha, South Africa
• LCM (50m)
• Results: Meet Mobile – Sa National Youth Champs 2026 NMBA

The 2026 South African National Youth Championships are underway in Newton Park and we saw our first national record and continental record of the competition bite the dust.

The moniker ‘youth championships’ is a little bit misleading, as competitors here are aged 17 to 25, giving us some senior stars among the field.

One of the veterans among the pack is Jessica Thompson, with the 18-year-old posting a lifetime best in the women’s 50m backstroke.

Thompson stopped the clock at 27.67 to destroy the former South African national standard and African record of 27.91 Olivia Nel put on the books en route to earning bronze at the 2025 World University Games.

Entering this competition, Thompson’s lifetime best rested at the 27.98 she produced in the semi-finals at the 2025 World Junior Championships. There in Otopeni, Thompson ultimately placed 4th in a result of 28.06.

The South African now ranks 9th in the world on the season.

Thompson already owns the SCM 50 back national record, courtesy of the 26.85 she posted at the 2025 South African Short Course Championships.