Peacock set to shake up Midmar women’s mile
Peacock will be out to end the domination of the event by two-time winner, Ashley Twichell, and seven-time champion, Keri-anne Payne.
A SENSATIONAL battle for the women’s title is in the offing at this year’s aQuellé Midmar Mile after 2013 World University Games 1 500-metres freestyle gold medallist, Stephanie Peacock, confirmed her participation.
She will be out to end the domination of the event by two-time winner, Ashley Twichell, and seven-time champion, Keri-anne Payne.
Adding extra spice to the showdown is the fact that Peacock hails from the University of North Carolina, while Twichell’s Alma Mater is Duke University; when it comes to rivalries, it doesn’t get much bigger than that between those two colleges.
Twichell will be aiming for a third victory in succession, but a question or two surrounds her form as it will be the first time back in competition for her since she underwent shoulder surgery in the latter half of last year. Payne, the runner-up the past two years, is in much better shape this time around. Last year, like Twichell will be doing in 2015, she was returning to competition after a long break.
The 22-year-old Peacock is, meanwhile, transitioning into open water swimming, but her successes over long distance in the pool suggest that she could push for the honours in the world’s largest open water swimming event in her very first crack at the title.
Event organiser, Wayne Riddin, a former two-time Midmar Mile winner and one of South Africa’s leading swimming coaches, is expecting a tremendous tussle.
“I think it could be something special,” Riddin said. “Ashley (Twichell) came in from the United States in her first year and got second place (behind Keri-anne Payne). Katinka Hosszu, a world renowned swimmer, managed only fourth in her first go at the race, and now you have Stephanie Peacock, who has the credentials, in my opinion, to break Janet Evans’ record, which has stood for 22 years.”
“Janet Evans is one of the biggest names in the history of swimming. For somebody to break one of her records means that she is pretty good, so it will be an interesting clash here because I think Keri-anne is a lot fitter than last year.”
