By Adnaan Mohamed
South Africa’s elite swimmers wasted little time diving into qualification mode as the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha produced a trio of early Commonwealth Games qualifiers, with Aimee Canny, Pieter Coetzé (pictured above) and Ruard van Renen slicing through the water with purpose.
At the Newton Park Swimming Pool, where every stroke carries the weight of Glasgow selection, the opening exchanges had the urgency of a final-length sprint. Coetzé, already riding a wave of confidence this season, once again proved why he is the country’s backstroke standard-bearer, delivering a performance that ticked the qualifying box with controlled authority.
World champion Coetzé had already made sure of his Commonwealth qualifying time in the morning heats, where he swam 53.13 seconds in the 100m backstroke. He went even quicker in the evening final, thanks to a strong challenge from Ruard van Renen. Coetzé claimed the title in 52.40 seconds, with Van Renen second in 53.61, also under the required qualifying time.
“I just wanted to see what I can do, get on the team firstly, and then just see what happens. I think that’s by far the fastest I’ve been at Nationals or at this time of the year, so it’s a very good sign,” said Coetzé afterwards, adding that he was pushed to a faster time by Van Renen next to him.
“I wasn’t sure what kind of form he was in, so I didn’t know what was going to happen and then after the turn, I just saw him pop up next to me, and I was like, ‘Okay, he’s looking good. I’m going to have to push.’ I’m super glad he got it, it’s been a long time coming for him,” added the 21-year-old.
If Coetzé’s swim was measured, Van Renen’s was a surge of raw intent, powering through his race like a swimmer chasing the wall in the final metres of a relay. His qualifying time underlined his growing stature in the national setup, marking him as one to watch as the season gathers pace.
Canny, meanwhile, cut through the field with the precision of a perfectly timed dive, her swim sealing a well-earned place among the early qualifiers. Calm and composed, she turned preparation into performance when it mattered most.
The 22-year-old achieved qualifying times in the 200m freestyle and the 100m breaststroke. She first claimed a dominant victory in the 200m freestyle, speeding to victory in a time of 1 minute 56.64 to not only secure a place on the team but also better her own national and continental record, set at the SA Championships in the same pool back in 2024.
She was back in the pool around half an hour later for the final of the 100m breaststroke, where she saw off challenges from Simone Moll, Kaylene Corbett, and defending champion Rebecca Meder to win in another qualifying time of 1:06.57.
“I think I’m happy that [the freestyle] was first because breaststroke was kind of more of a wildcard, you could say, just because I do a lot of freestyle training. But I’m super happy with that,” said Canny afterwards.
“I’ve kind of always been training breaststroke, but this year I’ve changed training groups and done a lot more distance and a lot more 200 breast… So I was really excited for this coming in.”
As for achieving the qualifying time in the breaststroke, the University of Virginia student added: “I don’t know if I was expecting that. I knew I could get close to that, just wasn’t sure how close I would have got after that 200 freestyle.”
The women’s 100m backstroke title was won by Olivia Nel, who just missed the Commonwealth Games qualifying time by 0.37 of a second after winning in 1:00.83.
“I’ve had a very long season. There’s always the expectation of wanting [the qualifying time]. I gave my best in that race, and I executed it much better than this morning. As a technical swim, it was way better. So I’ll take the wins where I can take the wins,” said the North Carolina-based swimmer, who still has the 50m backstroke and the 50 and 100m freestyle to come this week.
Other winners on the night were 18-year-old Kris Mihaylov, who claimed the men’s 200m freestyle title in 1:48.24 and Chris Smith, who overcame a slow start to successfully defend his 100m breaststroke title, winning in a time of 1:00.36.
Swimming action at the Bombela Concession Company SA Swimming Championships continues at the Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha on Wednesday.
