Paris 2024, Africa Recap: Day 7 – Rebecca Meder Sets Record 4 Months After Ruptured Appendix

2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
  • Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
• La Défense Arena — Paris, France
• LCM (50 meters)
• Meet Central
• Full Swimming Schedule
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Pick ’em Contest
• How To Watch
• Entry Lists
• Live Results
• Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7
• Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

While not having the success and name recognition that compatriot Tatjana Smith has in the swimming world, there have been a few other female South African swimmers that are either inspired by Smith or part of the growth of female swimming across the world. We’ve mentioned Kaylene Corbett and Erin Gallagher already, but today’s focus is on Rebecca Meder.

The 22-year-old Cape Town native set the South African record in the 200 IM at the 2023 World Championships, recording a mark of 2:10.95, but a year later, she brought it down even further, slicing .28 of a second off it, posting a time of 2:10.67 this evening. A remarkable feat given that just three weeks before the South African National Championships, Meder had undergone an emergency appendectomy, and while she did compete, she was limited to just the 50 back in fear of breaking her stitches should she dive or do a flipturn.

The 16th qualifier into the semifinals, Meder, who was 2:11.96 in prelims, got out to a fast start in the first semifinal as she posted a split of 27.45, which was 3rd fastest in the field of eight. After slipping to 7th after the breaststroke, the South African surged back with a 30.79 to claim 5th in the heat in a time of 2:10.67

While the second semifinal was much faster, resulting in Meder finishing in 11th, the time and place in itself was a huge achievement. It was her first semifinal appearance at the Olympics, having placed 23rd in 2021. In looking at her splits from this swim and her previous records, one can see that Meder slowed a little in the middle 50s, but it would pay dividends in the last 50 as her freestyle split was over half a second faster than in the previous record.

Other Continental News

• D3 NCAA Champion Jesse Ssengonzi, who swam for the University of Chicago, broke his own national record in the 100 fly, setting a new mark of 53.76, getting under the 54.00 barrier for the first time. Read more about that swim here.
• Chad le Clos and Matt Sates both failed to advance to the semifinals of the 100 fly. Le Clos, a four-time Olympic medalist, entered Paris with an arm injury but has mentioned swimming through the 2028 Games in L.A.

Continental/National Records

• African Record
  • M. 100 Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 52.58
  • M. 200 Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 1:55.60

• Benin
  • M. 100 Back: Alexis Kpadi – 57.61
• Burundi
  • M. 50 Free: Belly-Cresus Ganira – 23.80
• Djibouti
  • M. 50 Free: Houmed Barkat – 26.00
• Guinea
  • M. 50 Free: Elhadj N’gnane Diallo – 26.45
• Guinea-Bissau
  • M. 50 Free: Pedro Rogery – 28.34
• Rwanda
  • M. 100 Fly: Oscar Cyusa Peyre Mitilla – 58.77
• South Africa
  • M. 100 Back: Pieter Coetze – 52.58
  • M. 200 Back: Pieter Coetze – 1:55.60
  • W. 200 IM: Rebecca Meder – 2:10.67
• Sudan
  • W. 100 Free: Rana Saadeldin – 1:04.72
• Uganda
  • W. 100 Free: Gloria Muzito – 55.95
  • M. 100 Fly: Jesse Ssuubi Ssengonzi – 53.76

Medal Summary