2023 SOUTH AFRICAN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Wednesday, April 12th – Sunday, April 16th
- Newton Park Swimming Pool, Gqeberha, South Africa
- LCM (50m)
- World Championships Qualifier
- Selection Criteria
- SwimSwam Preview
- Psych Sheet
- Results – Meet Mobile: SA National Aquatic SNR-Champ-2023-PE
The 2023 South African National Championships kicked off today from Gqeberha, with 18-year-old Pieter Coetze firing off a new national record in the men’s 100m back.
Cal commit Coetze established a new South African national and African continental standard of 52.78 en route to not only winning gold but also notching his name onto the roster for this summer’s World Championships.
On the women’s side, 19-year-old Aimee Canny grabbed gold in the 200m free, clocking a time of 1:57.82. Her performance marked the University of Virginia athlete’s first-ever time under the 1:58 second threshold.
Entering this meet, Canny’s PB rested at the 1:58.34 produced at this same meet last year. However, she now inches closer to the national record of 1:57.17 Karin Prinsloo put on the books in 2014 en route to qualifying for Fukuoka.
Olympic champion and World Record holder Tatjana Schoenmaker was also in the pool tonight, taking on the 100m breaststroke.
25-year-old Schoenmaker punched a winning result of 1:05.89 to easily clear the World Aquatics ‘A’ time needed for this summer’s World Championships.
Runner-up Lara van Niekerk also got the job done, snaring silver with a time of 1:06.74 this evening while Kaylene Corbett rounded out the top 3 in 1:08.57.
Schoenmaker now ranks 2nd in the world this season, tying Japan’s Reona Aoki.
2022-2023 LCM Women 100 Breast
Meilutyte
1:04.62
| 2 | Lilly King | USA | 1:04.75 | 06/30 |
| 3 | Evgeniia Chikunova | RUS | 1:04.92 | 04/19 |
| 4 | Lydia Jacoby | USA | 1:05.16 | 06/30 |
| 5 | Kaitlyn Dobler | USA | 1:05.48 | 06/30 |
Additional winners included Matthew Randle topping the men’s 100m breast podium in 1:01.35 while Olivia Nel took women’s 100m back gold in 1:02.22.
Matt Sates was the top men’s 200m free performer, earning gold in 1:47.92. That was off the ‘A’ cut of 1:47.06 needed for this summer’s World Championships.
The meet is being livestreamed. Please post the link to SwimSA TV(YouTube channel) in articles about the championships.
That’s revenge for Schoenmaker, after losing this race to van Nierkerk last year. I remember it prompted a separate thread here.
This reversal is more a case of a significant time increase from van Niekerk, than of Schoenmaker dropping time.
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Their mixed medley is starting to look good
I feel like you need a male breaststroker to contend for a medal these days.
I assume you would make the team Coetze/Schoenmaker/Le Clos/Canny? I think that’s finals worthy but nowhere near the medals.
A bit sad that the mixed relay always needs a male breastroker…but that’s how the sums add up.
I agree. I’m not a fan of MMR for that reason. It basically hinges on having a fast male breaststroker and fast female freestyler. If either of those isn’t on point you have no chance of even if you have 3 other outstanding legs.
I much prefer the mixed free which feels more like a true mixed contest to me.
A valid criticism; however there is already a significant imbalance of events towards freestyle with a further lean in favour of sprinters.
Would have no particular issue with MFR being given Olympic status at some point ….. but contingent on form-stroke 50s also being added or already on the program.
In the meantime, I can still find some enjoyment in watching either/both.
That’s not much off where Schoenmaker was in April before Tokyo (1:05.74).