Last night saw the world and SA sitting on edge as we spurred on Tatjana Schoenmaker with all our hearts to be the first qualifying female Olympian at the SA Olympic Trials. She came within one hundredth of a second from qualifying. What a brave swim and what a victorious athlete already considering that she actually did this Olympic qualifying time already at the SA Swimming Grand Prix just a while back in Stellenbosch. There she clocked 2:26.50 and last night 2:26.95. Tatjana you are a true champion and we salute you.
Congratulations goes out to four additional Olympic and Paralympic qualification times were posted at Durban’s Kings Park Aquatics Centre as Chad Le Clos, Brad Tandy, Hendri Herbst and Adri Visser shined bright during the second-last day of the SA National Aquatic Championships.
Well done and Congratulations Adri Visser – Photo Credits: Heslop Sports
Get to know Adri here: http://heslopsports.co.za/wp/adri-visser/
Chad le Clos raced to his third Olympic Qualification time of the competition, this time in the 100m butterfly semi-finals, clocking 51.91 to Ryan Coetzee’s 53.44 and Dylan Bosch’s 54.04, ahead of tomorrow night’s final.
Brad Tandy, who swam to an Olympic Qualifying time of 22.13 in the heats session of the 50m freestyle earlier in the day, topped the evening semi-finals race in a slower 22.28, to the required 22.27. Tandy will be looking to improve on that performance when he takes to the water in tomorrow’s final, alongside Douglas Erasmus and Roland Schoeman, who finished in 22.40 and 22.69 respectively.
The semi-finals of the 200m backstroke were contested between Nathania van Niekerk, Mariella Venter and Samantha Randle, with Van Niekerk touching the wall first in 2:11.53 to Venter’s 2:13.36 and Randle’s 2:17.71. The final of the event will take place tomorrow.
Tatjana Schoenamer just missed out on qualification to the Rio Olympic Games in the 200m breaststroke event, finishing the race in 2:26.95, while Kaylene Corbett walked away with the silver in 2:30.18 and Franko Jonker with the bronze in 2:31.29. The set standard stood at 2:26.94.
Photo Credits: Brian Spurr Photography
Karin Prinsloo raced ahead of the pack in the 100m freestyle and won the gold in 56.12, while Erin Gallagher claimed the silver in a close 56.31 and Tayla Lovemore the bronze in 56.98.
In the 200m backstroke, Martin Binedell made his way to the top of the medal podium in 2:01.35 followed by Neil Fair in 2:02.40 and Ricky Ellis in 2:02.72, while Bosch took the honors in the 200m individual medley in 2:01.24 ahead of Michael Meyer (2:01.69) and Jarryd Baxter (2:03.21).
Martin Binedell – http://heslopsports.co.za/wp/martin-binedell/
Hendri Herbst (S11) raced to his third Paralympic Qualification time, clocking a fast 27.24 in the 50m freestyle, while Adri Visser (S5) added her name to the ever-growing list in the 50m butterfly, when she finished in 52.02 to the required 54.29.
Mark Roach won the S14 and S15 50m freestyle event in 25.43 ahead of Craig Groenewald in 27.11 and Aaron Putz in 28.29, while on the ladies side, Christelle Kriel, Cornell Loubser and Maritza Snyder topped their race in 30.89, 29.64 and 34.88, respectively.
Loubser scooped the gold ahead of Kriel in the 50m butterfly, touching the wall in 30.02 to Kriel’s 33.29, while Groenewald went one better in his category, winning the race in 29.34, with Ahmat Hassiem walked away with the gold in the S1-S13 race in 27.45.
In the S1-S13 50m freestyle, Emily Gray, Shireen Sapiro and Shannon Martins came out on top in 32.53, 31.56 and 34.35 respectively.
The final day heats will start at 10h00 while the finals will begin at 18h30.
The staging of this event has been made possible through the support provided by Swimming SA partners, Sport and Recreation South Africa, SASCOC, National Lotteries Commission, Arena, Rand Water and the SABC.
Olympic Qualifying Times following Day 06:
- Sebastien Rousseau – 400m individual medley – 4:14.75
- Michael Meyer – 400m individual medley – 4:15.71
- Myles Brown – 400m freestyle – 3:48.86
- Cameron van der Burgh – 100m breaststroke – 59.66
- Cameron van der Burgh – 200m breaststroke – 2:10.13
- Christopher Reid – 100m backstroke – 54.02
- Chad le Clos – 200m freestyle – 1:47.75
- Chad le Clos – 200m butterfly – 1:55.04
- Chad le Clos – 100m butterfly – 51.91 (SF)
- Jarred Crous – 200m breaststroke – 2:11.65
- Brad Tandy – 50m freestyle – 22.13 (heats)
Paralympic Qualifying Times following Day 06:
- Kevin Paul (SM10) – 200m individual medley – 2:15.78
- Kevin Paul (SB9) – 100m breaststroke – 1:05.10
- Johann van Heerden (SB9) – 100m breaststroke – 1:12.64
- Alani Ferreira (SM13) – 200m individual medley – 2:50.43
- Alani Ferreira (S13) – 400m freestyle – 5:21.00 (heats)
- Alani Ferreira (SB13) – 100m breaststroke – 1:26.90
- Alani Ferreira (S13) – 100m butterfly – 1:23.37
- Emily Gray (S9) – 400m freestyle – 5:05.36 (heats)
- Emily Gray (S10) – 100m backstroke – 1:17.17
- Craig Groenewald (SB14) – 100m breaststroke – 1:12.33
- Hendri Herbst (S11) – 100m backstroke – 1:16.84
- Hendri Herbst (S11) – 100m freestyle – 1:00.01
- Hendri Herbst (S11) – 50m freestyle – 27.24
- Shireen Sapiro (S10) – 100m backstroke – 1:11.87
- Achmat Hassiem (S10) – 100m butterfly – 1:00.44 (heats)
- Beth Nothling (S5) – 50m backstroke – 55.50
- Adri Visser (S5) – 50m butterfly – 52.02
*SF – Semi-Final
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