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A Review Of South African Olympic Qualifiers Through End Of 2024 Trials

2024 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (OLYMPIC TRIALS)

The 2024 South African Swimming Championships concluded yesterday with the six-day competition representing the nation’s Olympic Trials.

Although we did see several swimmers clock World Aquatics Olympic Qualification Times over the course of the meet, this is not the only opportunity athletes have to be selected for Paris 2024.

Per the Swimming South Africa selection policy linked above, swimmers can still notch ‘A’ cuts at World Aquatics-sanctioned events during the qualification window which spans March 1, 2023 – June 24, 2024.

Here are the key points presented in the qualification document:

  • The 1st and 2nd-placed athletes in the final of an Olympic event at Trials will be considered for selection if they achieve an ‘A’ cut.
  • Should one or both of the top 2 finals finishers not achieve an ‘A’ cut, then athletes with the fastest ‘A’ times in the heats can be considered.
  • If, at the end of the Trials, there are not 2 athletes with ‘A’ cuts for a specific Olympic event, athletes who have achieved the standard during a World Aquatics-sanctioned event during the qualification window may be considered.
    • These times will only be considered, however, if the athlete was a finalist for that event at the Olympic Trials.
    • Additionally, should any athlete swim a faster ‘A’ cut at a sanctioned event other than Trials, he/she will not take precedence over any ‘A’ cut-achieving swimmers from the Trials.

With these stipulations in mind, here is a list of the South African Olympic qualifiers through this publishing.

Qualifiers at 2024 South African National Championships (Olympic Trials)

Qualifiers (outside of those above) at World Aquatics-Sanctioned Meets

  • Rebecca Meder – Women’s 200m IM (2:10.95, heats of 2023 World Championships)
  • Chad Le Clos – Men’s 100m fly (51.48, 2024 World Championships)
  • Matt Sates – Men’s 100m fly (51.66, 2023 World Cup Budapest), 200m fly (1:55.25, 2023 World Cup Budapest), 200m IM (1:57.72, 2023 World Cup Budapest)

Of note, Rebecca Meder achieved an ‘A’ cut of 2:10.95 in the 200m IM in the heats of the 2023 World Championships. At the Olympic Trials, however, Meder only raced in the non-Olympic event of the women’s 50m back after still recovering from a ruptured appendix. 

As described above, the Swimming South Africa selection policy states that times outside of Trials will be considered only if the athlete was a finalist for the specific event at Trials. Since Meder did not swim the 200m IM at Trials, a literal interpretation would render her unqualified.

However, most nations have an ‘extenuating circumstances’ clause within their selection policies. Swimming South Africa’s does not explicitly include one but that doesn’t mean Meder can’t potentially be granted a reprieve from the strict policy due to her situation.

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Peter
6 months ago

Any possible relays

Sub13
Reply to  Peter
6 months ago

They’re not qualified for any in Paris

Craig
6 months ago

Lara Van NieKerk has a 1:06.74 from SA champs on April 12th 2023.

Sub13
Reply to  Craig
6 months ago

Why are you getting downvoted? That would mean she made the team wouldn’t it?

From what I can see she actually has 2 100 breast A cuts within the qual period.

Troyy
Reply to  Sub13
6 months ago

Neither of them were are at meets approved by World Aquatics for Olympic qualification. There’s a list of qualifying competitions here. Scroll down past the rankings.

Sub13
Reply to  Troyy
6 months ago

Ah right

mclovin
6 months ago

Sates career will go down as one of the weirdest ever. From junior phenom, to NCAA winner to Mare Nostrum destroyer and finally utmost irrelevance. Such a wild ride for a short life

RealCrocker5040
6 months ago

Chad Le Clos 2024.0

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Braden Keith

Braden Keith is the Editor-in-Chief and a co-founder/co-owner of SwimSwam.com. He first got his feet wet by building The Swimmers' Circle beginning in January 2010, and now comes to SwimSwam to use that experience and help build a new leader in the sport of swimming. Aside from his life on the InterWet, …

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