2022 SOUTH AFRICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS (RSA)
- Wednesday, April 6th – Monday, April 11th
- Newton Park Swimming Pool, Gqeberha, South Africa
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships/Commonwealth Games Qualifier
- Psychs
- Live results on Meet Mobile: “SA National Aquatic SNR-JNR Champ 2022-PE”
- Livestream
The 2022 South African Championships carried on tonight from Newton Park Swimming Pool, with a big upset taking place in one of the women’s races.
Contesting the 100m breaststroke, Lara van Niekerk stunned the crowd in delivering a victory over Olympic silver medalist in the event Tatjana Schoenmaker.
18-year-old van Niekerk scorched a lifetime best of 1:05.67, comfortably keeping Schoenmaker at bay with her runner-up result of 1:06.06.
Entering this meet van Niekerk’s lifetime best in this 1breast rested at the 1:07.34 she logged in May of last year. However, unleashing her first sub-1:06, let alone 1:07 time of her career here tonight, the teen checks in as the second-fastest female on the planet for 2022. Only Japan’s Reona Aoki has been quicker with her 1:05.19 from last month’s Japanese Trials.
2021-2022 LCM Women 100 Breast
Aoki
1:05.19
| 2 | Lilly King | USA | 1:05.32 | 03/31 |
| 3 | Lara Van Niekerk | RSA | 1:05.47 | 08/02 |
| 4 | Anna Elendt | GER | 1:05.58 | 03/31 |
| 5 | Yu Jingyao | CHN | 1:05.63 | 09/21 |
“I was expecting a 1:05 but not that quick. I was expecting a 1:05.9 so I’m super-happy. I surprised myself and I think a lot of people in the stands,” admitted an elated Van Niekerk after her race.
“I was really nervous before, just knowing she’s an Olympic silver medallist in the 100 and she’s always very strong coming back. I always go out fast, so I knew coming back I had to go into another gear and just try my best and keep holding on so I’m really happy.”
Even though she was swimming in the lane next to her, Van Niekerk wasn’t aware of where Schoenmaker was in relation to her.
“I actually couldn’t see her at all. I just heard everyone in the stands going crazy and I knew it must be really close. I can’t remember much of the race – I think I just had so much adrenaline,” added Van Niekerk who has now achieved World Championship and Commonwealth Games qualification times in the 50 and 100m breaststroke.
The men’s 100m fly saw Chad le Clos beat out NCAA champion Matt Sates, with the former clocking 51.88 to the latter’s 52.06.
Le Clos said after the competition tonight, “That was great. It was brilliant. Matt is a superstar. I was happy to get the win of course because it was quite a tight race,” said a relieved Le Clos after glancing over at the rival 12 years his junior several times during the final 50m.
“I was nervous, I knew he was coming at me because he’s been finishing like a beast the last couple of races… but I’m very happy with the win and hopefully both of us can move forward with this event… Congratulations to Matt – he’s had a phenomenal weekend.”
Pieter Coetze turned some heads as lead-off of the 200m free relay, crushing a new lifetime best of 22.15. The 17-year-old Olympian now adds the 50m free to his other events of the 50m back and 100m back for this summer’s World Championships.
Additional Results:
- Michael Houlie clinched a Budapest-worthy time in the men’s 50m breast, hitting a time of 27.22. The Tennesse Vol said, “I felt really good this morning and I knew that coming so close, I could get it this evening. I just focused on staying relaxed, composed and executing.”
Swimmers who have achieved qualification times for the Commonwealth Games and FINA World Championships so far:
Women
Aimee Canny (200m freestyle)
Emma Chelius (50m freestyle)
Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke)
Tatjana Schoenmaker (50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke)
Lara van Niekerk (50m and 100m breaststroke)
Men
Pieter Coetzé (50m and 100m backstroke, 50m freestyle)
Michael Houlie (50m breaststroke)
Chad le Clos (100m, 200m butterfly)
Matt Sates (200m freestyle)
I don’t think her time ranks her 2nd though
1) How is Van Niekerk number 2 in the world when Aoki, King and Elendt have all been faster?
2) Will be interesting to see if she can swim the same time with international judges (looking at her legs)
Amazing breaststroke industry in South Africa!
They know how to teach breaststroke.
It’s really cultural.
Heyns, Poewe, van der Burgh, Schoenmaker, van Niekerk….
Maybe our French coaches should travel there to take some lessons.
Zorzi, van Biljon, Corbett, Versfeld, even Schoeman, etc lucky them
Even more interesting…
South Africa has a strong history of Olympic and World Leading Breaststrokers including,
Cameron van der Burgh
Giulio Zorzi
Tatjana Schoenmaker
Kaylene Corbett
Lara van Niekerk
(and often times overlooked due to his Free and Fly prowess … )
Roland Schoeman
as well as,
Penny Heyns
Sarah Poewe
Suzaan van Biljon
Neil Versfeld
Furthermore –
most of these Breaststroke phenoms, those mentioned in the first part of this list, are from or train/have trained in Capital City – Pretoria.
Congratulations to Lara and Coach Eugene
Because everyone is putting lists of South African Breaststrokers together and missing a name, I figured I’d mention it.
Terence Parkin. Olympic silver.
Spoiled with talent! Canada just needs one fast woman in 100 breast to make an amazing 400 medley relay!
Australia expects desperately to find a fast breaststroker for its women’s medley relay for a long time now.
We have a 20 year old whose went a 1.05.5 last year. Hodges keeps improving at all this year the relay is fine
Are you talking about Hodges? Isn’t her PB 1:05.99? Unless you mean the relay split, which does suggest her individual could be faster
Her split was about what you’d expect for her PB.
The age champs start on Wednesday if you hadn’t already noticed.
Man, swimming is getting so fast
It really is!