The 2025 SA Senior National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha marks a new era, with stars Tatjana Smith and Chad le Clos absent from the lineup. Smith retired after her Paris Olympic success, while Le Clos is on an injury break—his first time not competing in two decades, though he’ll still be present to support. The spotlight now shifts to a new generation aiming to qualify for the World Championships in Singapore.
Among them is Pieter Coetzé, balancing training with his first year studying psychology at the University of Pretoria. He hopes to qualify in five events, including backstroke and freestyle. He’ll face competition from Ruard van Renen, fresh off a strong U.S. college season and coached by former Olympian Neil Versfeld.
Rebecca Meder, now based in New Zealand, returns in full health after missing last year’s champs due to a ruptured appendix. She’ll take on multiple events including breaststroke and the individual medley, with Kaylene Corbett offering tough competition in the 200m breaststroke. Lara van Niekerk, however, has opted to skip the meet to focus on training.
In the men’s breaststroke, Michael Houlie and Chris Smith are set for a strong showdown. Houlie enters with renewed confidence and motivation, also eyeing the World University Games. Matt Sates is entered in 10 events after a Swiss training stint with Olympic medallist Noè Ponti, while Erin Gallagher and Aimee Canny will aim to dominate the butterfly and freestyle events respectively.
The championships run from 9–13 April at Newton Park Swimming Pool.
SETTING THE MOOD WITH SHOW SPORT
Show Sports is South Africa’s leading hub for premium sports content and world-class tournaments. We bring fans closer to the action with a wide array of major sporting events and competitive tournaments across the country.