SA dominates African Swimming Champs
Myles miles ahead … SA swimmer Myles Brown picked up two gold medals at the African Swimming Championship in Bloemfontein
Team South Africa had already gone beyond an unassailable 40 medals mark on the fourth day of the African showpiece
South Africa remain firm at the summit of the medals standing at the 12th CANA African Swimming Championships currently taking place in Bloemfontein, where over 125 world class swimmers from 19 African countries are competing for dominance on the continent.
The competition also featured South Africa’s Olympic medalists Cameron van der Burgh (28) and Chad le Clos (24), who both added gold to the medal tally to ensure that Team South Africa remains resolute at the top of the standings from the first day to this very day.
On the first day, which was last Sunday, South Africa accumulated a total of nine medals – four gold, three silver and two bronze medals – with the likes of Alaric Basson (20) and Rebecca Meder (14) displaying gold medal winning performances in the 100m breaststroke and the 400m individual medley. Myles Brown (24) claimed gold in the 200m freestyle, while Calvyn Justus took the bronze in the same race.
On Monday the South African swimmers picked up from where they had left off the previous day, raising the medals tally to 24.
It was on this day that Le Clos and Van der Burgh took to the waters, with the latter setting a new championship record in the 50m breaststroke race. Van der Burg clocked a time of 28.05 seconds, breaking the 28.38 record which had previously been set by Senegal’s Malick Fall back in 2008.
South Africa still looked steady atop the medals standings on Tuesday, while Wednesday was a scheduled rest day.
The swimmers reconvened at the pool on Thursday, where South Africa continued the onslaught. The medals kept rolling in with Brown picking up his second gold of the tournament in the men’s 400m freestyle category with a record-breaking time of 3:54.80. Brown broke Troyden Prinsloo’s 12-year-old record of 3:57.30.
“It’s always good representing your country and winning gold for them,” Brown told The Weekly straight after receiving his medal from the podium.
Brown, who like Le Clos and Van der Burgh, has previously won many an accolade at much bigger platforms than the CANA African Swimming Championships said he still values competing in continental competitions.
“Any type of meet is important. We have got to show the continent of Africa that we are the leading swimming nation. It is important to come out here.”
By the close of business yesterday, South Africa had already reached 43 medals to render their lead unassailable with just a few race events left for today (Friday) and Saturday – which will be the final day of the pool events.
The phenomenal prowess of the South Africans in general further affirmed South Africa’s dominance in the continental swimming realm.
The championships are set to conclude this Saturday at Maselspoort Resort – 25km outside of Bloemfontein – where more participants will compete in a 5km open water race in the Maselspoort Dam; bringing to an end another successful edition of the CANA African Championships.
