2023 European U23 Swimming Championships
- Friday, August 11 – Sunday, August 13, 2023
- Dublin, Ireland
- Sport Ireland National Aquatic Centre
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Info
- Event Schedule
European Aquatics (LEN) has confirmed that athletes from South Africa will compete at the inaugural U23 European Championships in Dublin, with the three-day competition set to begin in just over one week’s time on August 11.
LEN confirmed South Africa’s attendance at the meet in its newsletter issued on July 27, though it did not specify whether or not they would be sending a full roster or just a select number of athletes.
Swimming South Africa has not released a roster or a list of swimmers headed to the Irish capital with just nine days until the start of the meet.
LEN reports that there are now 38 countries and approximately 500 athletes entered in the competition, an uptick to the initial total of 36 countries and 412 athletes announced in April.
For the first edition of the championships, LEN is allowing one nation from four other continents to participate, with South Africa filling the African slot while the United States will represent North America (see the U.S. roster here). The South American and Asian slots have not been filled.
The meet is open to athletes aged 19-23 (born in 2000-2004), aimed to provide swimmers with international experience as they make the jump from their nation’s junior team to the senior international squad.
Additionally, each federation can enter up to one swimmer aged 14-18 (born 2005-2009). Nations can enter a total of four individuals in an individual event.
While the competition is geared towards athletes who haven’t quite made the leap to qualifying for a senior international team, two of South Africa’s top male swimmers, Matt Sates and Pieter Coetze, are both eligible and pulled out of last month’s World Championships.
South Africa has also sent 23 athletes to the World University Games currently ongoing in Chengdu, China, so it seems unlikely any of those athletes would go back-to-back and race in Dublin, especially with the Games wrapping up just four days prior to the start of the U23 Championships.
Seven swimmers who competed at the World Championships in Fukuoka are also eligible to compete.
