Cameron ends his stellar career
SA STAR QUITS AFTER RECLAIMING TITLE Gallagher improves on her African record in 100m freestyle.
Former Olympic champion Cameron van der Burgh was delighted to close out his spectacular career in style yesterday, reclaiming the 100m breaststroke title by storming to a stunning victory on day two of the Fina World Short-Course Championships in Hangzhou.
Van der Burgh touched the wall in 56.01 seconds, securing the global 100m title in his specialist stroke for the second time before announcing his retirement from competitive swimming.
“It is funny how these things turn out,” Van der Burgh said, confirming it was his last race.
“At least I have no loose ends to tie up or reason to come back.”
It was Van der Burgh’s seventh medal at the biennial shortcourse showpiece.
His 10-year international career also included two medals at the Olympic Games, 10 medals at the Fina World Championships in the long-course format, and eight medals at the Commonwealth Games.
The 30-year-old South African, who shattered multiple domestic and international records over the last decade, retired with his global short-course marks intact in the 50m (25.25) and 100m (55.61) breaststroke events.
“I am happy to end on a high,” he said.
Meanwhile, in other events on day two of the World Short-Course Championships, teenager Erin Gallagher was in record-breaking form in the preliminary rounds of the women’s 100m freestyle.
Gallagher clocked 53.09 to break her own African record in the heats, and she went even quicker in the semifinals, finishing seventh overall in 52.70 to book her place in today’s final.
Chad le Clos, who had opened the SA team’s medal count with silver in the 200m butterfly on the opening day of the week-long gala, stuck up his hand again as one of the favourites in the 100m butterfly event.
The defending champion was second quickest in the semifinals, touching in 49.07 and progressing to the final, also to be contested today.