SWIMMING NEWS - South Africa's swim stars continued to shine bright on the third day of the KZN Aquatics Premier Championships with another nine Commonwealth Games Qualifying times posted at the Kings Park Aquatics Centre in Durban on Monday night.
The ladies power trio of Tatjana Schoenmaker, Kaylene Corbett and Emily Visagie showcased SA’s vast talent by adding their names to the Commonwealth Games qualification list in the 200m breaststroke final, clocking 2:26.46, 2:29.18 and 2:29.46, respectively.
Marlies Ross cruised past Hanim Abrahams and Visagie to end the 200m individual medley with a Commonwealth Games Qualification time of 2:17.33, while Abrahams finished with the silver in 2:19.41 and Visagie with the bronze in 2:19.43.
Olympian Chad le Clos raced to his second and third Commonwealth Games qualification times in the 200m butterfly and 100m freestyle, scooping the gold in a fast 1:58.01 and 49.74, with Eben Vorster close behind in a Commonwealth Games qualification time of 1:59.88 in the 200m butterfly, while Calvyn Justus and Leith Shankland dipped under the required 50.64 to qualify in the 100m freestyle in 50.35 and 50.51, respectively.
In the 50m backstroke, Jacques van Wyk came out victorious in 26.24 ahead of Henju Duvenhage in 26.91 and Jack Oliver in 26.96, while the glory in the 50m butterfly went to Erin Gallagher in a new KZN record of 26.68 to Emma Chelius’ 27.77 and Inge Weidemann’s 28.45.
Thirteen-year-old Luca Holtzhausen continued to dominate the age group events, adding the 50m backstroke and 100m freestyle to his tally, both in new KZN Record times of 28.82 and 54.16, breaking his own records from earlier in the year.
Joshua Paton (11) and Jacob Armon (14) finished first in the other 50m backstroke races in 35.32 and 29.38, while the gold medals in the 100m freestyles went to Ricky Lottering (11) in 1:07.08 and Chad Mayer (15) in 54.11.
