Adnaan Mohamed
Lara van Niekerk completed a golden hat-trick at the Bombela Concession Company SA National (25m) Championships on Sunday, powering through the 200m breaststroke like a swimmer rediscovering her tide.
The 22-year-old, already decorated with Commonwealth and World medals, clocked 2:24.81 to sweep the 50m, 100m, and 200m titles. It was a clean breaststroke sweep that signalled her resurgence.
“I enjoy the short-course 200 because it’s all about pull downs and you can keep your speed, so I really enjoyed that race … don’t tell my coach,” she laughed afterwards.
“The last 50 I had to dig deep, but it shows my fitness is back where it should be. Now it’s just sharpening the little technical things.”
Van Niekerk admitted the championships had been a confidence-restoring current:
“There’s not one race I’m upset about… fitness is there, stroke is where it should be. It’s looking good.”
On the men’s side, Oliva Lange paddled home with the 200m breaststroke crown in 2:12.11.
Elsewhere, Duné Coetzee added yet another gold to her treasure chest, outlasting rising 16-year-old Abigail Kotze in the women’s 200m butterfly.
Coetzee touched in 2:14.16, a fingertip ahead of Kotze’s 2:14.85.
“I felt awful this morning after the late 400 free, so I was nervous,” Coetzee admitted.
“But Abi really pushed me, and I didn’t think I’d go five seconds faster than the heat. Even when she beat me in the 100 fly, I was so proud of her – it’s great to have someone who keeps me racing.”
The men’s butterfly brought the upset of the meet, as Jarden Eaton surged from lane eight to steal gold in 1:59.50, ducking under the two-minute mark for the first time.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” he said.
“I just wanted a personal best… but building into that last 50, it all came together. I’m really happy.”
The distance titles capped the meet: Carli Antonopoulos cruised to the women’s 1500m freestyle in 17:01.33, while Matthew Caldwell completed a golden treble of his own, claiming the men’s 1500m in 15:28.11.
“It wasn’t as quick as I’d like, but after a long week of racing, I’ll take the win,” said Caldwell, already sighting next year’s Commonwealth Games like a swimmer eyeing the far wall.
