NATIONAL NEWS - South Africa's leading swimmers will look to find their form ahead of next month's London Olympic Games at the second leg of the Mare Nostrum series in Canet, France, starting on Wednesday.
A large South African contingent will hope to add medals to the seven they won at the Barcelona meeting at the weekend.
Swimming sensation Chad le Clos should provide some indication as to whether he will be a medal prospect at the Games.
Le Clos will compete in the 200 metres and 400m individual medley, 200m freestyle, 100m and 200m butterfly events.
He will go into the meeting as the highest ranked swimmer in three of the five disciplines.
The short-course world champion in the 200m butterfly will be the leading swimmer in the field in his specialist events, the 200m and 400m individual medley races.
He is also ranked second in the 100m butterfly and 200m freestyle.
One of the headline acts at the meeting will be 50m breaststroke world record holder Cameron van der Burgh, who won gold medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke races in Barcelona.
Van der Burgh recorded the fourth-fastest time in the world this year in the men's 100m breaststroke in a time of 59.73 seconds.
His compatriot, Giulio Zorzi, who took the bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke, will once again compete against Van der Burgh in both events.
Karin Prinsloo, who won two silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke in Barcelona, will also be hoping for improved times.
She will again compete in the 100m freestyle and 200m backstroke races, while Suzaan van Biljon will be in action in the 50m and 100m backstroke disciplines.
Kathryn Meaklim, the top-ranked entrant in her events, will swim in the 200m butterfly, and the 200m and 400m individual medley races.
Leith Shankland, who will compete in the 50m, 100m and the 200m freestyle, will be in the same field as Le Clos, Devon Brown and Michael Meyer.
Charl Crous will race in the 50m and 100m backstoke events.
Source : Sapa
|