Van Niekerk Lowers Own South African Short Course 50 Breast Record

2022 SOUTH AFRICAN SC CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Thursday, August 11th – Sunday, August 14th
• Seals Swim Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
• SCM (25m)
• Recap #1
• Results

While competing on day 3 of the 2022 South African Short Course Championships, Lara van Niekerk registered a new national record in the women’s 50m breaststroke.

Van Niekerk first lowered her own record of 29.85 from 2021 down to a new low of 29.67 out of the heats en route to claiming the top seed.

Then once tonight’s final came around, the Pretoria athlete unleashed an even quicker time of 29.62 to take gold and qualify for the 2022 FINA Short Course World Championships set for Australia in December.

Van Niekerk’s performance now inserts her into the list of top performers all-time in the event in slot #21, tied with the Netherland’s Moniek Nijhuis. She remains the top African female ever in the SCM 50 breast.

Additional Notes:

• Former University of Georgia Bulldog Matt Sates took on the 200m free and 100m fly on day 2, taking each event’s top spot. In the former, 19-year-old Sates scored a time of 1:44.26, just missing the FINA A cut of 1:44.08 needed for the Short Course World Championships. In the 100m fly, Sates put up a time of 51.90 for gold, although a minimum of 50.57 was needed.
• Another Commonwealth Games swimmer in Pieter Coetze put up a time of 23.80 to take the men’s 50m back, while runner-up Ruard Van Renen hit 24.41 with both men snagging FINA B standards.