Umdloti swimmer takes the ultimate dive at Commonwealth Games

Like an eagle swooping in to catch its prey, he leaps into the blue – a unique signature move which still baffles the swimming world.

Part-time Umdloti resident Bradley Tandy was recently home after he won the silver medal for 50m freestyle and the bronze medal for 4x100m medley relay, with fellow SA Olympians Chad Le Clos, Cameron van den Burgh and Calvyn Justus at the Commonwealth Games Australia 2018.

“Being on that podium with the guys solidified us as brothers. My heart rate still goes up just thinking about it,” said the 26-year-old sprint freestyle specialist who is a towering 192cm tall.

“We knew we had to beat Scotland and I was the last one to swim which was nervewracking. As I flipped back and kicked off, I saw Scotland on my tail – it was a drag race to the end. I swam hard, head down, arms straight. I touched the wall, looked up and saw Chad and Cameron freaking out – the job was done. It was the most perfect highlight to the Commonwealth games for all of us.”

Tandy, whose home town is Ladysmith, went to Florida in 2011 after his swimming couch suggested he try for a US bursary.

“I went from training two hours to five hours a day. I had a killer year and won Athlete of the Year, Student of the Year, Swimmer of the Year – I just ticked all the boxes. All the big scouts came in to see me. They offered me everything I could imagine.”

He chose the University of Arizona – where Ryk Neethling was.

Here, he also met his hero – “a giant specimen with no body fat”, Matt Grevers.

“He is a multiple Olympic medalist and world record holder, but more importantly he taught me to live outside of the pool. They say a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer.

“Like me, he is a big gamer. We are known as “jerds” – a jock/ nerd,” said Tandy, who studied IT management and considers going into e-sport (the latest craze of paid, professional online gaming) once he retires from swimming after the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, probably.

His first international swim was at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow, where he made the finals.

Two years later, he went to the Olympic Games in Rio.

“I remember looking around at the swimmers, thinking these are people I want autographs from. It was huge. I walked out and told myself to enjoy the moment and I achieved my personal best.” His explosive dive gives him an edge.

“My dive has boosted my career and persona as a swimmer. It is not just visually very different, but generally the fastest too – giving me about a half a second head start. Every swim nerd started breaking it down. I was even invited to The Race Club where they made a video of me diving while wearing a special suit full of monitoring devices linked to a high speed HD camera. My mom (Vanessa) actually taught me to dive.”

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