2025 World Championships
- July 27 – August 3, 2025 (pool swimming)
- Singapore, Singapore
- World Aquatics Championships Arena
- LCM (50m)
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South Africa’s Pieter Coetze entered entirely new territory when he ripped a lifetime best, South African national and African continental record of 51.99 in the men’s 100m backstroke at this month’s World University Games.
Entering the competition, which took place in Germany, Coetze’s lifetime best checked in at the 52.58 he logged at last year’s Olympic Games. He lowered that to 52.18 in the semi-finals before unleashing the #1 time in the world this season.
Now 21-year-old Coetze leads a 14-strong South African roster heading to Singapore for the World Championships, whose swimming action kicks off tomorrow, Sunday, July 27th.
Speaking to the South African Swimming Federation ahead of Singapore, Coetze said of his new PB, “I was very happy with how Berlin went and with my performances there.
“It wasn’t really expected at all. I didn’t really know what to expect to be fair, but to swim a 51 in the 100 backstroke was definitely unexpected and definitely boosted my confidence.”
Our men’s 100m backstroke World Championships preview was published prior to the World University Games so Coetze’s 51.99 wasn’t factored into the prediction.
The South African will have his hands full, with the likes of Kliment Kolesnikov of Russia (representing neutral athletes), current world record holder Thomas Ceccon of Italy and British rising star Oliver Morgan.
Coetze also notched a time of 48.12 in the 100m freestyle for silver at WUGs, hitting a new PB in that event as well in the individual race.
But he took even that event a step further, unleashing a huge career-swiftest performance of 47.88 as lead-off on his nation’s men’s 4x100m free relay.
That rendered the TUKS student the 2nd-best South African 100m freestyler in history, sitting only behind Lyndon Fearns and his longstanding national record of 47.79 posted in 2009.
Of that 1free outing, Coetze stated, “It’s also good to see the freestyle coming along. To go sub-48 was pretty cool and a big PB as well. So it was all a good sign for Singapore. It is quite close after Berlin, but I think things are looking good.
“There have been some very fast times from all over and the field is very bunched up, but I think that’s just going to bring the best out of all of us, and we’ll push each other so I’m pretty excited to race all these guys who have put up fast times this year,” he said.
Fellow national record holder Erin Gallagher is also pumped for what may transpire in Singapore, ready to rumble in the women’s 50m/100m fly and 100m free.
26-year-old Gallagher said, “The 100 fly I’m excited to see what I can do and see where I am and what improvements I can make, but I’ve put a lot of my energy and focus onto the 50 fly and 100 free.
Reflecting on last year’s Olympic Games, Gallagher commented, “I feel much better in my body and much better in training, so I’m really looking forward to world champs because I feel like it’s going to be a way better reflection of what I’m capable of doing in the pool.”
