Swimmers qualify for junior worlds

THE 50m butterfly events at the end of the evening produced the fireworks on day 2 of the 2018 SA Short Course National Championships at Kings Park.

In all, four events each for men and women were contested, with qualifying times for the short course worlds in December coming in three of the eight events.

During the morning heats there were two further qualifying swimmers, Chad le Clos in the 50m butterfly who didn’t contest the final, and Rebecca Meder who swam under the time in the 200m individual medley.

Ryan Coetzee of Tuks and Brad Tandy of Seals were both under qualifying time in the final with Coetzee winning in 22.99, and Tandy in second in 23.12. Douglas Erasmus was third in 23.60.

In the corresponding women’s event Erin Gallagher attained her second qualifying time of the meet when she won in 26.07. Tayla Lovemore was second in 26.32 with Emma Chelius third.

Ayrton Sweeney won two titles, first producing an outside smoker from lane 0 in the 200m freestyle.

He led from start to finish in 1.47.36, and then later held it together in the freestyle leg of the medley to take the title in 1:57.96.

Rebecca Meder won the women’s 200m individual medley in 2:12.71.

In the men’s 100m backstroke Zane Waddel was two hundredths of a second outside the qualifying time. His win came in 51.63 with Jacques van Wyk second in 52.70. Mariela Venter took the women’s 100m backstroke in 1:00.36.

The women’s 200m freestyle produced a blanket finish with four swimmers reaching for the wall almost simultaneously. Marliess Ross won in 2:00.81 ahead of Dune Coetzee in 2:00.98. In third was Kate Beavon in 2:01.00 with Abi Meder next best in 2:01.18.