Le Clos pushed hard as three swim to 2018 Games butterfly qualifying time

JOHANNESBURG: Olympic champion Chad le Clos was made to work hard for first place but he still managed to qualify for a fourth individual event – the 100m butterfly – for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games next year.

Le Clos had some strong competition from Ryan Coetzee at the KZN championships in Durban last night, but he managed to beat the Pretoria swimmer to the wall in a time of 52.42 seconds. Coetzee (52.92) and Daniel Ronaldson (53.71) also dipped below the qualifying mark.

Le Clos has also posted qualifying times in the 200m butterfly, and the 100m and 200m freestyle events in Durban.

South African swimming legend Cameron van der Burgh will be vying for his third consecutive 50m breaststroke gold medal at next year’s Games.

He won the men’s 50m breaststroke, which is a non-Olympic event, with a time of 27.28 and is also set to swim in the sprint event after he qualified in the 100m breaststroke earlier at the trials.

Van der Burgh will be going to his third Commonwealth Games and will be looking to continue his medal-winning run at the quadrennial showpiece.

He won gold in both his events at the 2010 Delhi Games and successfully defended his 50m breaststroke title in Glasgow four years later before finishing second in the 100m.

Top female swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker dipped below the qualifying mark in the 100m breaststroke while Kaylene Corbett also scraped through.

A total of 24 swimmers have met qualifying marks for next year’s Commonwealth Games but the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc), who have the final say in the selection of the team have set athletes a target of finishing among the top 10 at the event.