Sates Triples On Penultimate Night Of South African SC C’ships

2021 SOUTH AFRICAN SC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Wednesday, September 15th – Sunday, September 19th
• GC Jolliffe Pool, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
• SCM (25m)
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap
• Results (when available)/Meet Mobile

These 2021 South African Short Course Championships may also be considered ‘The Matt Sates Show’, as the 18-year-old University of Georgia commit has been making major waves over the last several days.

Sates has already racked up victories in the men’s 800m free, 200m free and 100m fly here in Pietermaritzburg, but this evening he had his biggest night of individual events yet with 3 dive-ins.

First, he took on the 100m free where the Seals swimmer cranked out a lifetime best of 47.14 to clear the field by well over a second.

Clocking 22.71 on the way out and 24.43 on the way home, Sates crushed his previous personal best of 48.33 from this same meet in 2020. With this podium-topping performance, he checks in as South Africa’s 7th fastest man ever in this event.

Next on his agenda was the 50m fly, with Sates clearing the field in 23.27. 17-year-old Olympian Pieter Coetze was next in line, capturing silver in 23.83.

Finally, the men’s 200m IM fell to Sates as well, with the future Bulldog firing off a time of 1:55.43 for a new best effort. Entering this meet the man’s career-fastest was represented by the 1:55.88 produced at these championships one year ago.

Rebecca Meder was a multiple event winner on the women’s side, hitting 54.87 in the 100m free and 2:10.63 in the 200m IM  as well.