While the swimmers from Pretoria at last week’s South African Swimming Championships once again showed that this city consistently produces the largest number of top swimmers in the country, it was especially members of the Tuks Swimming Club what stood out.

Swimmers from TuksSwimming won 40 medals (18 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze) at the championship, while other local swimmers also contributed to making the city proud.

More importantly, six of the local swimmers qualified for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Tuks’ Pieter Coetzé was undoubtedly the best male swimmer at the national championships. He won five gold medals and qualified in five events for the Games.

“This is only my second meet in about nine months. So I think it’s a great base and I’ve got about two months now to go back to work and make sure I put in a good performance at Commonwealth,” was Coetzé’s comment after his great performance at the championship.

According to TuksSwimming head coach Rocco Meiring, apart from two, every swimmer he had wanted to qualify for the Games did so.

“The qualifying A-requirement for the Games is the same as for the World Championships. So the swimmers had to be at their best. That is what makes coaching rewarding,” Meiring explained.

Regarding Coetzé’s performances, Meiring said that he is satisfied with the times his protégé achieved.

“I don’t like to talk about medals. My plan for Pieter is about times. The faster, the better. So it is constantly about what can be done to improve his speed so that he can keep up with what is happening in world swimming,” Meiring remarked.

There was also a triumphant return for another local swimmer, Lara van Niekerk, who missed last year’s National Championships after suffering a back injury. The 2022 double Commonwealth Games champion swam a 50m breaststroke qualifying time of 30.52 seconds in the morning heats before going quicker in the evening to take the title in 30.50. She was especially pleased after missing out on the qualifying time in the 100m breaststroke.

“After the 100, I was a bit upset and didn’t really enjoy that one as much as I would have wanted to, just having that expectation on me ever since I swam the 1:05 and then all the injuries and sickness that I just really struggled to get there again. But I spoke to my coach and he just reminded me that the 50 has always been my thing and to go enjoy that one and do my best,” a relieved Van Niekerk remarked after the championship.

Last year’s bronze medallist in the 200m breaststroke at the World Championships, Kaylene Corbett, also qualified for the Games at the national championships, swimming 2:23.72. She won the silver medal, but her time is the fastest she has swum at SA’s.

“The challenge is to get Kaylene to swim at a faster pace earlier in the race. However, it takes its toll over the last 50 meters. We are working on fixing that. I want Kaylene to swim a time faster than the 2028 Olympic qualifying requirement as soon as possible,” said Meiring.

Erin Gallagher, a former Commonwealth Games silver medallist, qualified for Glasgow at the national championships in the 50m and 100m butterfly.

The other two Tuks swimmers who qualified for the Glasgow Games are Chris Smith (50m breaststroke) and Hannah Pearce (200m backstroke).

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