2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
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- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2
South Africa’s Pieter Coetze safely qualified for the semifinals of the 100 back this morning, one-upping his performance from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where he finished 24th in a time of 54.05. After a strong swim of 52.90 in the prelims, Coetze was the second fastest qualifier and occupied lane 4 in the first semifinal.
Coezte was out .09 faster than he was this morning, flipping second in 25.40 behind early leader Miroslav Knedla. Coezte, World Record holder Thomas Ceccon, and French star Yohann Ndoye-Brouard would pass Knedla, with Ceccon surging to the wall in 52.58. Coetze and Ndoye-Brouard would end up tying for 2nd in 52.63. The time not only erased Coetze’s personal best but also rewrites the South African and African records.
| 2024 Olympics Semis (New African Record) | 2024 Olympics Prelims | 2023 S.A. Championships (Former African record) | |
| 1st 50 | 25.40 | 25.49 | 25.58 |
| 2nd 50 | 27.23 | 27.41 | 27.20 |
| Time | 52.63 | 52.90 | 52.78 |
In looking at the splits between the new record and the former, one can see that Coetze, 20, took out the race faster, by .18 in the first 50, and only sacrificed .03 on the back half. Looking at the bigger picture, the time appears to make the young South African the 24th fastest performer of all time.
In 2022, Coetze announced that he intended to train and attend the University of California, but a year later, he reversed course and opted to remain in South Africa and turn pro. Since then he claimed bronze at the 2024 World Championships in the 200 backstroke and is in prime position tomorrow to earn an Olympic medal.
For South Africa, Coetzee represents the first man not named Chad le Clos to reach an Olympic final since the 2016 Rio Games when Cameron van der Burgh won silver in the 100 breaststroke and Brad Tandy placed 6th in the 50 free.
Other Continental News
- Fellow South African Tatijana Smith qualified first into the finals of tomorrow’s 100 breaststroke by virtue of her 1:05.00. The recently married swimmer finished 2nd at the Tokyo Olympics in a time of 1:05.22 behind the USA’s Lydia Jacoby.
- South African and UVA swimmer Aimee Canny made the semifinals of the women’s 200 freestyle, placing 12th in a time of 1:57.34. In 2021, Canny was a relay-only swimmer, swimming in the 4×200 free and 4×100 medley relays.
Continental/National Records
- African Record
- 100 Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 52.63
- Benin
- 100 Back: Alexis Kpadi – 57.61
- South Africa
- 1oo Back: Pieter Coetze – 52.63