2022 SOUTH AFRICAN SC CHAMPIONSHIPS
- Thursday, August 11th – Sunday, August 14th
- Seals Swim Centre, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- SCM (25m)
- Results
After having lowered her own 50m breaststroke national record earlier in the meet, 19-year-old Lara van Niekerk ended her 2022 South African Short Course Championships on a high note.
Van Niekerk topped the 200m breaststroke podium here in Pietermaritzburg with a final time of 2:22.75, with Rebecca Meder less than a second behind in 2:23.37. Both women made the grade for the 2022 Short Course World Championships slated for Australia this December.
After the race, van Niekerk said of Meder, “I think if she hadn’t been next to me, I definitely wouldn’t have gone that hard so I’m super-happy.”
“It’s another A qualifying time and a good way to end off this whole competition thing I’ve had going for the last four months.
For her part, IM ace Meder said, “I never thought I’d get an A time in the 200 breaststroke but being able to go B times in all my other heat swims and then again in the finals is great. I finally feel more like myself… it’s good confidence for me for my medleys.”
Additional highlights on the final day of the competition included Stephanie Houtman taking the 1500m free national title in a time of 16:42.10, good enough to beat the FINA ‘B’ standard. Dakota Tucker followed suit as the 200m fly champion, earning a winning time of 2:13.25.