Olympic places on the line for various local stars at SA Champs
The Olympic fate of several local swimming stars from Pretoria will be decided this week at the national championship in Port Elizabeth.
The country’s top swimmers head to Port Elizabeth this week for the National Championships, which this year take on extra importance as they serve as Olympic trials ahead of Paris 2024.
Among them, and looking to confirm his spot at a fourth Olympic Games, are several local stars from Tuks and other clubs in Pretoria.
Looking forward to the week ahead is young gun Pieter Coetzé, who was the country’s only medallist at the recent World Aquatics Championships in Doha, picking up a bronze in the 200m backstroke.
Photo: Anton Geyser
“I’m feeling very good heading into trials. I’ve been doing some good training and it’s been tough but it’s always good to be positive so I’m looking forward to racing again. I’ve got some good memories in the PE pool, so I’m feeling confident. I wouldn’t really say I’m hoping for anything but I’d like to put up some good performances and boost my confidence heading towards Paris,” said the 19-year-old.
Coetzé famously qualified for the delayed 2020 Olympics in the same Gqeberha pool at the age of just 16.
Also looking to boost her confidence ahead of Paris is breaststroke queen Tatjana Schoenmaker, who chose to skip the World Championships in February but will be looking to defend her Olympic title in the 200m breaststroke in the French capital later this year.
Photo: SA Sports Images
Fellow breaststrokers from Pretoria, Kaylene Corbett and Lara van Niekerk, will also be in the mix. Corbett finished fifth in the same race that Schoenmaker won her Olympic gold and set a world record, while Van Niekerk is gunning for a place at her first Olympic Games.
“I am looking forward to building on my performances from World Champs. There are lessons me and my coach took from my races and now we want to implement them at Nationals and see how fast I can go. But as always, I am just focusing on giving my best and then I will think about Paris,” ,” said Van Niekerk, the two-time Commonwealth Games champion.
Swimming action will last the whole week at the Newton Park Swimming Pool until Saturday, 13 April.
Do you have more information about the story?
Please send us an email to bennittb@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites: Rekord East
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
