New SA swimming talent sparks historic season

SOUTH African swimming spent much of the past decade searching for its next wave of global contenders.

- ROWAN CALLAGHAN

REBECCA Meder. KAYLENE Corbett.

(Supplied Supplied)

In 2025, the tide finally turned. A blend of breakout youngsters and resurgent established names produced the most promising season since the eras of Chad le Clos and Tatjana Smith.

From Pieter Coetzé’s surge onto the world stage to Kaylene Corbett’s first international medal and Rebecca Meder’s World Cup consistency, the sport's talent pipeline flowed strongly again.

For years, Coetzé has been earmarked as South Africa's next major men’s swimmer. In 2025, he delivered on that promise. The twenty-one-year-old backstroke specialist produced a breakthrough season of world-class times, calm race execution and a new mental edge.

At the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, the Tuks student delivered the statement swim of his career, winning gold in the 100m backstroke. He added silver in the 200m backstroke and bronze in the 50m backstroke, completing a three-medal haul that lifted South Africa to eleventh on the overall medals table and made him SA’s Male Swimmer of the Year.

With these results, Coetzé equalled former Olympic champion Roland Schoeman’s three-medal tally from 2005. Each race also brought major personal bests and continental records. “It's amazing. It's something I always dreamed of,’ Coetzé said.