Pieter Coetze capped off an incredible SA Swimming Championships in Gqeberha over the weekend, with his fifth victory in what was a week to remember for the youngster.
The 21-year-old also bagged five Commonwealth Games qualification times in the process.
The final exclamation point in his procession of triumphs was his win in the 200m backstroke.
Having touched the wall in 1:55.26, there was still something left in the tank, Coetze hinted afterwards.
Coetze’s Strategic Race Approach and Gallagher, De Lange’s Commonwealth Qualification
“I used to swim this race very back-end based, and I want to get my body used to going out a bit faster… I would have liked to go out a bit faster than that, but it’s okay,” said Coetze.
However, there was no disputing that it was an excellent return for the work he’s put in, explained Coetze.
“This is only my second meet in about nine months. So I think it’s a great base and I’ve got about two months now to go back to work and make sure I put in a good performance at Commonwealth.”
Elsewhere, in the women’s 50m butterfly, Erin Gallagher and Caitlin de Lange both booked their spots at the Commonwealth Games. Gallagher won in 25.63, followed closely by De Lange in 25.98.
“It was always going to be close. It’s all about the start and the finish and timing everything perfectly.
“You never really know what to expect, and it’s always great when it pays off. But it’s a splash and dash. You don’t have much time to think, you kind of just close your eyes and go for it.”
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