Lara van Niekerk sets world lead in 50m breaststroke heats at SA champs

Sprint queen Lara van Niekerk shot to the top of the 50m breaststroke world rankings as she set the pace in the morning heats at the South African championships in Gqeberha on Saturday, clocking 29.83 sec.

After losing her 100m crown to Tatjana Schoenmaker earlier in the gala she made a statement of intent, pushing out an effort just 0.11 short of her personal best.

Schoenmaker was second-fastest in 31.39. 

Erin Gallagher went 58.32 in the women’s 100m butterfly to clock an A-qualifying time for the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan, in July.

Gallagher won Commonwealth Games bronze in this event in Birmingham last.

Michael Houli went 27.29 in the men’s 50m breaststroke which serves as a A-qualifier, though it doesn’t guarantee selection because it’s a non-Olympic event.

Defending champion Pieter Coetzé laid down the marker in the 50m freestyle heats at the SA championships in Gqeberha on Saturday morning, clocking a time more than half-a-second faster than veteran king Roland Schoeman.

Coetzé, 18, won his heat in a rapid 22.18 sec while Schoeman, 42, finished first in his in 22.91.

Chad Le Clos was quickest in the men’s 100m butterfly, finishing in a comfortable 52.70 while Matthew Sates won his heat in 53.05.

Emma Chelius was the quickest in the women’s 50m freestyle in 25.33, ahead of Erin Gallagher (25.51), Caitlin de Lange (25.67) and Aimee Canny (25.77), the 100m and 200m freestyle champion.

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