Pieter Coetzé leads charge of the new brigade of swimmers

The next generation of South African swimmers will carry the torch at the World Championships that is taking place later this year.

- By Keanan Hemmonsbey

South Africa has seven swimmers who qualified for the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore in July and August after impressive showings in Gqeberha at the SA National Swimming Championships last week.

Pieter Coetzé (20) was the star in a week that, for the first time in 19 years, didn't contain either Tatjana Smith or Chad le Clos. Smith retired from swimming last year after the Paris Olympic Games and Le Clos is recovering from a back injury, which means he will only compete in the pool in October or thereabouts. And although he doesn't plan to retire soon, at 33 his peak swimming days are behind him.

The pair's absence meant there was a combined eight Olympic silver and gold medals missing from the Newton Park swimming pool. But Coetzé, who was a finalist in the 100m and 200m backstroke events in Paris last year, brought his A game with five wins four of which were within World Championship qualifying times.

Coetzé dominated the national swimming championships last year as well, winning the same five events, but he has not yet been able to replicate his fine local form on the Olympic stage like Smith and Le Clos before him. He has, however, been successful on the international stage, winning a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke in last year's World Championships and standing on each level of the podium at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

"Mission accomplished," said Coetzé after cruising to victory in the 200m backstroke on Sunday night, 13 April, in a time of 1:56.07, which wasn't particularly quick for the country's best.