George has a new world 50m butterfly swimming champion!
A week of celebration and rest is in order for local swimmer Minke Janse van Rensburg (19) who broke the previous Down syndrome world record for 50m butterfly set by an Australian in 2013 by two seconds at the Senior National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha on 11 April.
In addition, Minke improved her own 100m freestyle down syndrome world record during the qualifying heats on Saturday 13 April, and yet again improved her time during the finals later the same day with a new world record of 1:16.65. Following her latest record competing in the category S14 for intellectually disabled persons, Minke is now the proud holder of six world records.
"Her grandfather, Hennie Janse van Rensburg (85), spent five days at the gala to watch his granddaughter swim three world records," said her proud dad, Hennie Janse van Rensburg junior. "It was quite a celebration."
He also praised Minke's coach, Franna Vorster, for his keen observation talents at the event, before she broke the first world record. "Franna spotted that she swam the last three metres much faster and in a different style. He started grilling her to use her end-style for increasingly long times, recorded her doing this and then made Minke watch the video about 50 times! He performed a miracle by seeing and utilising the crucial change in her swimming style. It worked wonders. We are incredibly happy and grateful."
Vorster is the owner of Garden Route Swimming School in George and also coaches George's other Down syndrome swimming star, Savanna Haselau (18).
The Senior National Swimming Championships is the biggest swimming competition in SA and is an Olympic Games qualifier. Before the event Hennie said his daughter was looking forward to the gala.
"Minke always checks out the fastest swimmers and then she wants to mingle with them. She's done this since she was a little girl. She is crazy about Lara van Niekerk and Tatjana Schoenmaker and watches them with hawk's eyes when they compete.
I think she believes she can compete against them."