BONUS - RUSTENBURG - The young Olympic swimmer and former Rustenburger, Pieter Coetzé, showed on day one of the national championships in the Eastern Cape that he is ready for extraordinary achievements in the season ahead.
Pieter Coetzé became the first swimmer to claim a World Aquatics Championships qualifying time at the SA National Swimming Championships, which got underway in The Eastern Cape on Wednesday.
The 20-year-old dipped under the 100m backstroke qualifying mark in the morning heat in 53.03 seconds and then went even quicker in the final, taking the win ahead of Ruard van Renen in a time of 52.71 seconds.
Coetzé, who reached both the Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke finals in Paris last year, wasn’t too sure what to expect after not racing since October. Pieter also qualified for the 200m backstroke in a time of 1 minute 56.07 and finished joint top of the men’s medal table with five individual golds, having won the 50, 100 and 200m backstroke as well as the 50 and 100m freestyle.
Joining him on five titles was Matt Sates, who took victories in the 200m freestyle, 100 and 200m butterfly and the 200 and 400m individual medley. Pieter qualified at the SA National Swimming Championships in the following events: 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle.
