13 April 2025 – The SA National Swimming Championships wrapped up in Gqeberha with seven swimmers achieving qualifying standards for the upcoming World Aquatics Championships in Singapore this July. Pieter Coetzé led the charge, securing qualifying times in four events—the last of which came on the final night with his win in the 200m backstroke in 1:56.07. “Mission accomplished,” said Coetzé. “I just wanted to qualify, get it done. Obviously it would have been nice to go a bit faster… but I think I’m in a great place for this stage of the season. I want to peak overseas, and this gives me a solid foundation.” Coetzé topped the men’s medal tally with five individual golds, claiming titles in the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke, as well as the 50 and 100m freestyle. Matching him in golds was Matt Sates, who took top honours in the 200m freestyle, 100 and 200m butterfly, and both the 200 and 400m individual medley. Erin Gallagher added her name to the Singapore-bound squad by clocking a qualifying time in the morning heats of the 50m butterfly with a time of 25.93 seconds. She opted out of the evening final, which was won by 17-year-old Jessica Thompson in 26.47 seconds. “I was very, very happy. I remember touching the wall, seeing 25.9 and saying ‘thank you, Jesus’ because I had no idea how it would go,” said Gallagher, who narrowly missed qualification in the 100m butterfly the previous day. “The year after the Olympics is experimental. Your body’s still recovering, so we’re testing different things, seeing what works.” Thompson said it felt unusual not having Gallagher in the final but was pleased with her performance. “It’s been a long week, so I’m just happy to swim a bit faster than this morning. It’s really about trimming those splits,” she said. Duné Coetzee was the standout among the women, capturing her fourth title with a 4:11.29 win in the 400m freestyle, adding to her victories in the 200m and 800m freestyle and the 200m butterfly. “I’m so, so happy with that swim,” said Coetzee, who heads back to the University of Georgia for her final sports management exams before returning to train in Pretoria. Matthew Caldwell capped off his campaign with a win in the 400m freestyle in 3:54.96, completing a clean sweep of the distance events after earlier titles in the 800m and 1500m. Other winners included Hannah Pearse in the women’s 200m backstroke (2:13.13) and Joshua Emslie in the men’s 50m butterfly (24.30). In para swimming, Christian Sadie, Danika Vyncke and Nathan Hendricks all met qualification standards for the World Para Swimming Championships in September. Sadie posted a time of 2:38.49 in the SM7 200m individual medley, while Hendricks and Vyncke recorded 2:15.54 and 2:51.60 respectively in the SM13 category. “I was really surprised this week,” said Sadie. “We didn’t focus too much on this meet, and I wasn’t expecting to get this close to my personal bests. I’m very motivated for the next Paralympics. With the time I have, I know there’s a lot I can build on.”
2025 World Aquatics Championships A qualifying times achieved at the SA National Swimming Championships: Pieter Coetzé – 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle; Matt Sates – 200m individual medley; Rebecca Meder – 200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke; Kaylene Corbett – 200m breaststroke; Chris Smith – 50m breaststroke; Michael Houlie – 50m breaststroke; Erin Gallagher – 50m butterfly.
Photo credits: Roger Sedres/Swimming SA
For further information, please contact: Mafata Modutoane mafata.modutoane@swimsa.org or 073 226 5688.
Swimming South Africa is the national governing body for aquatic sports in the country. Its mission is to promote swimming as a life skill through Learn to Swim programmes, provide healthy recreational opportunities for all communities, nurture competitive talent, and support elite performance. The organisation is proudly supported by SASCOC, the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund, Arena, Sport & Recreation SA, and Rand Water.
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