Tuks swimmers dominated during the SA Short Course Championships in Durban, winning 43 medals (11 gold, 15 silver and 17 bronze).
A definite highlight over the weekend was the performance of the women’s 4 x 50m medley relay team. They set a new African and South African record, winning in 1:50.95.
Tuks’s swimmers also swam 19 B-qualifying times for the World Short Course Championships that will take place in December in Hungary. There is a real chance that all the gold medallists will be selected to compete.
Hannah Pearce, who starred for Tuks during the USSA Championships, was again in top form, winning the 200m-backstroke in 2:07.28. Hers is the fifth fastest so far in the world. It is a mere 1.34s slower than the A-qualifying standard for the Short Course Champs. It is also a personal best for Pearce. Earlier this year, she had also set a personal best in the 200m-backstroke (2:11.73).
The BSc psychology, physiology and genetics student certainly did not expect to be as fast. Before the championships, she described the A-qualifying time as crazy fast.
Pearce is also the South African long course 200m-backstroke champion. Although she also competes over 100 metres, the Tuks swimmer prefers the longer event.
“The 100m-backstroke is too short an event for me. I only find my rhythm after 75 metres. What I like about the 200 metres is that you don’t have to be fast right from the start. I back myself over the last 100 metres.”
According to Pearce, the pool is her happy place.
“When I swim, all that matters is ensuring I execute every tiny part of my technique flawlessly because I know that will bring me closer to fulfilling my goals. I will do anything to be one of the world’s best swimmers. I will not put in all the long, hard hours if I don’t like what I am doing.
“Training at Tuks never feels like a job because I do it with friends. Honestly, there are days when I am less motivated, but when you see how one of your friends achieves their goal, you are all fired up again.”
Caitlin de Lange also came close to swimming A-qualifying times for the World Short Course Champs. She won the 100m-freestyle in 54.16, missing out by a mere 0.48s. In the 50m-freestyle, she was off by 0.11s from being faster than the A-qualifying time.
Earlier this year, during the African Games in Ghana, De Lange won seven medals – four individual (2 gold and 2 silver) and three gold in the relays.
The other Tuks swimmers who swam B-qualifying times are Matthew Randle (breaststroke), Stephanie Houtman (freestyle), Callan Lotter (freestyle), Arno Kruger (freestyle), Kian Keylock (individual medley and breaststroke), Catherine van Rensburg (freestyle), Hannah Robertson (400m freestyle) and Kerryn Herbst (backstroke).
Herbst (backstroke), Georgia Els (breaststroke), De Lange (butterfly) and Emma Chelius (freestyle) set an African and South African record by winning the 4x50m medley-relay in 1:50.95