SWIMMING NEWS - After five days of competition, South African’s top athletes have no plans of slowing down as the Commonwealth Games qualification times continued to pour in at the KZN Aquatics Premier Championships in Durban.
Twenty-eight swimmers have already made the Commonwealth Games qualification list and with one more day of action to go, that number is sure to grow.
It was a fight to the finish in the 200m backstroke final, as Martin Binedell claimed his first Commonwealth Games qualification time in 1:59.59, just 0.06secs ahead of Jarryd Baxter, who was more than happy with the silver and his Commonwealth Games qualification time of 1:59.65. Luan Grobbelaar won the bronze in 2:04.35.
In the highly competitive 50m freestyle, fast times were on the cards as the top four in the final swam under the 23.26 Commonwealth Games requirement. Brad Tandy was victorious in 22.33 ahead of Douglas Erasmus in 22.90, Ryan Coetzee in 23.18 and Armand Maritz in 23.25.
In the long distance 1 500m freestyle, Brent Szurdoki won his second Commonwealth Games qualification time in 15:30.83, to the 15:44.74 requirement, while the silver went to Luke Erwee in 15:52.69 and the bronze to Chad Michau in 15:52.82.
Dune Coetzee (15) was quick off the block in the 200m butterfly, as she scooped the gold in a Commonwealth Games qualification time of 2:12.52 ahead of Jenna Pearse took the silver in 2:22.05 and Tori Oliver the bronze in 2:22.76.
