Team SA is primed to scoop a gold-silver at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday night in what could be a titanic battle in the women’s 100m breaststroke between Tatjana Schoenmaker and Lara van Niekerk.
Teenager Van Niekerk is the 50m champion while Schoenmaker, 25, retained her 200m title, setting up a mouth-watering clash over 100m. The winner will land a breaststroke double — but will it be the schoolkid, or will veteran Schoenmaker repeat her 100m-200m double from Gold Coast 2018.
On paper Schoenmaker, the silver medallist in this event at the Tokyo Games last year, should be the overwhelming favourite, owning the 1 min 04.82 sec Olympic record.
But it is Van Niekerk who set the pace in both the heats and the semifinals on Monday. She won the second semifinal in 1:05.96 while Schoenmaker took the other eliminator in 1:06.43.
Commonwealth Games
Lara vs Tatjana in all-SA battle for breaststroke dominance
Image: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Team SA is primed to scoop a gold-silver at the Commonwealth Games on Tuesday night in what could be a titanic battle in the women’s 100m breaststroke between Tatjana Schoenmaker and Lara van Niekerk.
Teenager Van Niekerk is the 50m champion while Schoenmaker, 25, retained her 200m title, setting up a mouth-watering clash over 100m. The winner will land a breaststroke double — but will it be the schoolkid, or will veteran Schoenmaker repeat her 100m-200m double from Gold Coast 2018.
On paper Schoenmaker, the silver medallist in this event at the Tokyo Games last year, should be the overwhelming favourite, owning the 1 min 04.82 sec Olympic record.
But it is Van Niekerk who set the pace in both the heats and the semifinals on Monday. She won the second semifinal in 1:05.96 while Schoenmaker took the other eliminator in 1:06.43.
Image: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
In the morning Van Niekerk clocked 1:06.40, with Schoenmaker the second-fastest in 1:07.10.
At the national championships Van Niekerk upstaged Schoenmaker in this event too, winning that race in 1:05.67, the fastest time ever posted in SA.
Schoenmaker is the fastest South African ever, and Van Niekerk the second-fastest.
Whoever wins, the SA women will achieve their golden clean-sweep of all three breaststroke medals.
The final is set for 8.07pm. Strap yourself in.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE
Boks congratulate Blitzboks on Commonwealth Games gold
Tatjana shows her class as she dominates 200m breaststroke heats
Rampant Blitzboks destroy Fiji to give Team SA fourth gold medal
McKeon and Le Clos make history in Birmingham pool
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos