Kade Hodgkinson and Nene Toale spearheaded the Swift Aquatics charge at the recent Swimming SA (SSA) Level 2 age-group gala at Delville Swimming Pool in Germiston, delivering standout performances for the club.

Competing as part of a 12-member team, Hodgkinson emerged as the top performer, racking up six medals, including four golds and two silvers, in an impressive showing.

His victories included the 200m individual medley, which he won in 2:58.30, as well as the 100m backstroke, where he powered to gold in a personal best 1:14.95, also improving his time in the event by a massive 9.11 seconds.

Toale also impressed, securing bronze in the 50m backstroke in a lifetime best 38.75, shaving 1.41 seconds off her previous mark.

At the SSA Level 3 National Championships in Pretoria last month, Trevor Botha and Victoria Bulkahov led the club’s efforts with strong performances.

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Botha delivered notable improvements, finishing fourth in the 200m individual medley after lowering his time from 2:31.33 to 2:30.65. He also broke the one-minute barrier in the 100m freestyle, clocking a new personal best of 59.79, an improvement of 0.88 seconds.

Bulkanhov, meanwhile, reached the finals in both the 200m breaststroke and 100m events, capping a consistent campaign.

At the SSA Junior National Championships in Gqeberha, Daniel Bulkahov continued his upward trajectory with significant time improvements.

The St Dunstan’s College learner produced a standout swim in the 400m freestyle, cutting 8.57 seconds off his previous best to finish in 4:36.74. He also improved his 100m freestyle time from 59.95 to 59.47.

Coach Mark Stainton praised the squad’s progress, highlighting their steady development over the past year.

“As their coach, and having only been with the squad for a year, they have made massive improvements in their times this season. I’m proud of them,” he said.

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