Chad le Clos left it to the last lap to secure his 13th 200m butterfly South African crown at the national championships in Gqeberha on Thursday night.
The veteran went head-to-head with Ethan du Preez for three lengths but delivered a slick underwater turn going into the last 50m to break the surface with a lead he kept until the end.
Le Clos, who turned 31 on Wednesday, touched in 1 min 56.05 sec, inside the A-qualifying mark for the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.
“I’m just very happy,” said Le Clos, who switched coaches to Dirk Lange, the former mentor of Cameron van der Burgh, after a disappointing Commonwealth Games last year.
“In October I took a change in head space. I’m ... looking forward to the world champs and hopefully get the crown back at the Olympics next year.”
Since winning the Olympic title at London 2012, Le Clos has picked up nine South African titles — he missed only 2018 — and his time on Thursday is his sixth-fastest overall. They’ve ranged from 1:54.56 in 2014 to 1:56.35 in 2013.
Matric pupil Pieter Coetzé underlined his backstroke dominance as he claimed the national 50m backstroke belt, winning in 24.36. His effort was just two-hundredths of a second outside the 14-year-old South African record held by Gerhard Zandberg, but it elevated him to the country’s second-fastest of all time, leapfrogging 2019 world champion in this event, Zane Waddell.
It also put him top of the world list for 2023, though it’s still early in the year.
Rebecca Meder broke her own South African women’s 200m individual medley record as she finished first in 2:11.39, well inside the world championship qualifying time. She was well ahead of US-based student Aimee Canney, who ended second in 2:13.35, and third-placed Dakota Tucker in 2:16.06.
“It was nice having Aimee there,” said Meder, whose time was also inside the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I was getting tired there so she was pushing me. I knew the time was within my grasp, but just to trust my training.”
Olivia Nel joined her former swimming star mother Annette Cowley-Nel in the record books, winning the 50m backstroke in 28.39, taking 0.16 sec off Chanelle van Wyk’s record from 2009.
Matthew Sates, already the 200m freestyle champion here, won the 200m individual medley, but again missed an A-qualifying standard as he touched in 1:59.95. At the national gala a year ago he was faster in both events, but he’s changed training programmes since joining Tuks early in the year.
Righard Muller won the men’s 1,500m freestyle in 15:32.26 and Dune Coetzee won the women’s 1,500m freestyle in 16:32.91.
Trinity Hearn won the women’s 200m butterfly in 2:14.15.
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Swimming
Chad le Clos makes it lucky 13 in the 200m butterfly at SA championships
Image: SUPPLIED
Chad le Clos left it to the last lap to secure his 13th 200m butterfly South African crown at the national championships in Gqeberha on Thursday night.
The veteran went head-to-head with Ethan du Preez for three lengths but delivered a slick underwater turn going into the last 50m to break the surface with a lead he kept until the end.
Le Clos, who turned 31 on Wednesday, touched in 1 min 56.05 sec, inside the A-qualifying mark for the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.
“I’m just very happy,” said Le Clos, who switched coaches to Dirk Lange, the former mentor of Cameron van der Burgh, after a disappointing Commonwealth Games last year.
“In October I took a change in head space. I’m ... looking forward to the world champs and hopefully get the crown back at the Olympics next year.”
Since winning the Olympic title at London 2012, Le Clos has picked up nine South African titles — he missed only 2018 — and his time on Thursday is his sixth-fastest overall. They’ve ranged from 1:54.56 in 2014 to 1:56.35 in 2013.
Matric pupil Pieter Coetzé underlined his backstroke dominance as he claimed the national 50m backstroke belt, winning in 24.36. His effort was just two-hundredths of a second outside the 14-year-old South African record held by Gerhard Zandberg, but it elevated him to the country’s second-fastest of all time, leapfrogging 2019 world champion in this event, Zane Waddell.
It also put him top of the world list for 2023, though it’s still early in the year.
Rebecca Meder broke her own South African women’s 200m individual medley record as she finished first in 2:11.39, well inside the world championship qualifying time. She was well ahead of US-based student Aimee Canney, who ended second in 2:13.35, and third-placed Dakota Tucker in 2:16.06.
“It was nice having Aimee there,” said Meder, whose time was also inside the qualifying standard for the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I was getting tired there so she was pushing me. I knew the time was within my grasp, but just to trust my training.”
Olivia Nel joined her former swimming star mother Annette Cowley-Nel in the record books, winning the 50m backstroke in 28.39, taking 0.16 sec off Chanelle van Wyk’s record from 2009.
Matthew Sates, already the 200m freestyle champion here, won the 200m individual medley, but again missed an A-qualifying standard as he touched in 1:59.95. At the national gala a year ago he was faster in both events, but he’s changed training programmes since joining Tuks early in the year.
Righard Muller won the men’s 1,500m freestyle in 15:32.26 and Dune Coetzee won the women’s 1,500m freestyle in 16:32.91.
Trinity Hearn won the women’s 200m butterfly in 2:14.15.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
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Chad le Clos makes it lucky 13 in the 200m butterfly at SA championships
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