It’s Tandy Time: South African Clocks 21.92 Worlds-Qualifier In Durban

2019 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

• Monday, April 7th – Friday, April 12th
• Kings Park Aquatic Centre, Durban
• LCM
• Psych Sheet
• SwimSwam Preview
• Day 1 Recap/Day 2 Recap/Day 3 Recap/Day 4 Recap
• Results

Women’s 200m IM – Final

• GOLD – Rebecca Meder, 2:14.44
• SILVER – Marlies Ross, 2:18.44
• BRONZE – Christin Mundell, 2:21.01

16-year-old Rebecca Meder earned her 3rd South African National Title with a win in this women’s 200m IM on the final night of the championships. Already having earned wins in the 200m free and the 400m IM, Meder clocked a winning effort of 2:14.44 to top the podium by exactly 4 seconds over 400m IM runner-up Marlies Ross.

Ross finished in 2:18.44, while Christin Mundell rounded out the top 3 in 2:21.01.

For Meder, her time tonight checks-in as a big-time personal best, overtaking her previous PB of 2:17.28 that rendered her 14th at the 2017 World Junior Championships.

Men’s 200m IM – Final

• GOLD – Eben Vorster, 2:02.71
• SILVER – Neil Fair, 2:04.23
• BRONZE – Louwen Oberholzer, 2:04.82

American-trained swimmer Eben Vorster, who is finishing his junior season at Pitt, took the men’s 200m IM title tonight easily, winning in a mark of 2:02.71.  Although tit missed out on World Championships qualification in terms of an ‘A’ cut, it does check-in as Vorster’s personal best. His career-fastest heading into this meet in Durban was the 2:04.45 he hit at the 2017 U.S. Open, which rendered him 18th overall.

Women’s 50m Free – Final

• GOLD – Erin Gallagher, 25.14
• SILVER – Emma Chellius, 25.38
• BRONZE – Tayla Lovemore, 26.01

20-year-old Erin Gallagher completed her stunner of a championships with another national title, her 4th of 2019. After snagging wins in the 50m fly, 100m fly and 100m free, the Seagulls swimmer hammered out a near-personal best of 25.14 in the 50m free for gold.

Gallagher owns the South African National Record in this even with the 25.03 she produced at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, so tonight’s time was just .11 off of that result.

Emma Chellius was not too far behind, finishing in 25.38 for silver, while Tayla Lovemore collected more hardware with bronze in 26.01.

As we noted prior to this meet, the Kings Park Center finally acquired starting block wedges after never having had them before. With starts making up an enormous part of the sprint races, especially these 50s, it’s important to note that this is Gallagher’s fastest time ever at this pool.

Men’s 50m Free – Final

• GOLD – Brad Tandy, 22.25
• SILVER – Douglas Erasmus, 22.55
• BRONZE – Ryan Coetzee, 22.60

Just off the FINA ‘A’ cut of 22.18 for Gwangju was Brad Tandy, who clocked a winning 50m free time tonight of 22.25. Behind him was Douglas Erasmus in 22.55, while 100m fly qualifier and silver medalist here, Ryan Coetzee got on the podium in 22.60 for bronze.

But, Tandy made the grade with his morning swim of 21.92. Tying his semi-final time from the 2018 Commonwealth Games (he’d wind up with the silver on the Gold Coast in 21.81), Tandy produced the only sub-22 second outing of the field in the morning or night to add his name to the South African roster for this summer’s World Championships.

Tandy is now ranked 5th in the world.