SA lifesavers pipped to festival title by Australia
HOST nation South Africa fought valiantly but the champion honours belonged to Australia at the Royal Life Saving (RLSS) Commonwealth Festival of Lifesaving.
The Australians (332) won by just four points after leading South Africa (328) by 17 points going into the final day of Lifesaving’s Still Water Commonwealth challenge held in Durban.
England (262) were a distant third followed by Hong Kong, Canada and Scotland.
Australia also won the Development Team title with England and South Africa’s President’s squad second and third respectively.
Lifesaving South Africa President Dylan Tommy said he was delighted with the overall standard of the South African squad and that the organisation of the event had reinforced South Africa’s standing within the global Lifesaving Community.
‘It’s been a very successful week for Lifesaving. The drowning prevention workshops, which included several African countries, were extremely important and we were also treated to a quality Commonwealth Championship, in which we so much skill, commitment and passion from the athletes.
“It was particularly pleasing to see the overall performance of South Africa,” said Tommy. “But it also shows the class of Australia that they still triumphed.”
The Development Championship ran concurrent with the main event and featured lifeguards without previous competitive international event experience.
Kwazulu-natal’s Natalie Billson was at the forefront of the Development Team’s performance while her siblings Carmel and Lauren Billson were part of the National Elite squad.
Dylan Bridger enjoyed a very good Development Championship, as did Bianca Opperman and Dehanke van Rensburg.
Carmel Billson, the General Tire/lifesaving South Africa National Women’s Champion and also Lifesaving’s 2017 South African Female Athlete of the Year, was prominent without ever being able to match the dominance and presence of Australia’s best.
Carmel Billson was third in the Women’s 100m Manikin Carry and Fins, with Australia’s Prue Davis and Pamela Hendry first and second respectively.
South Africa’s Martin Binedell finished second to England’s Sam Lawman in the Men’s 50 metres Manikin Carry. South Africa’s Johan Lourens was third.
Binedell, the South Africa and Africa 200m backstroke swimming champion, won the Men’s 50 metres swim and non-contact tow and also excelled in the relay.