Accomplishments in Swimming are forged in championships. When South African athletes Rebecca Meder and Erin Gallagher both made it through to the semifinals of their first event on the opening day of the swimming programme at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Sunday. Meder obtained her place in the 200m individual medley semifinals with a time of 2:11:0.5 was then not enough to see her through to the final, however, missing out by just two places. “10th in the world is not too shabby, but it’s not best time, especially for how I’ve been feeling in training and everything,” said the 22-year-old afterwards.
“I was really hoping to sneak into that final. My PB would have placed me in that final… so that’s a bit frustrating,” she added. “But I’m definitely looking forward to getting into the rest of the competition… I’ve got my 100 and 200m breaststroke still coming up this week, which I’m so excited for.” Meanwhile, Gallagher lined up for the semifinals of the 100m butterfly after a morning swim of 57.48 seconds. She reached the first turn in third spot, which bodes well for the 50m event, but dropped back to sixth, finishing in 57.68 seconds and 13th overall, so missing out on the final. Gallagher wasn’t too pleased with her swim, but happy with the speed shown in her opening 50 metres.
“I didn’t realise that I had turned third, that’s really cool, so I’m very happy with my front-end speed,” she said after the race. “I think it’s the fastest I’ve been out in the 100 before and it felt very comfortable and very chilled, so I think that’s a very good sign for the 50, which is still in a couple of days.
Swimming is one of the toughest challenging sports an athlete can set their minds too. The Singapore Aquatics World Championships would prove to be one of the ultimate tests in stamina, agility, speed and strength for an athlete swimmer. Meder and Gallagher will have their opportunity again to test their mettle. It has never been a walk in the park going against other professional national swimming teams. This was and will always be the ultimate test in sport. Swimming is a gruelling sport that will push the limits of the athlete’s speed and agility. Gallagher is fortunate enough to have won sixth place. She has to try harder to obtain a better speed. It is not a simple task but a significant achievement in and of itself to be there.
Gallagher was still able to do South Africa proud and prove that she as an athlete is a driving force for stamina. Practice makes perfect, but Gallagher should not underestimate her competitors. Gallagher will have to hang in there to compete against her rivals. This will be the toughest test of her mettle. The same can be said of her team mate Meder.
A team of 13 South Africans will dive into action as the swimming programme gets underway at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore on Sunday. Leading the way for the South Africans will be young Pretoria swimmer Pieter Coetzé, who travelled directly to Singapore from Germany, where he was representing the country at the World University Games. The TUKS psychology student left the Games with a haul of three medals after taking gold in the 50 and 100m backstroke and silver in the 100m freestyle. He was particularly pleased with the times he swam, dipping under 48 seconds for the first time in the 100m freestyle and under 52 seconds in the 100m backstroke. Coetzé’s African record time of 51.99 seconds to take the 100m backstroke gold is the fastest in the world this year, boosting not only his confidence but also his chances of reaching the podium in Singapore.
Obtaining the gold, you were aiming for at the Singapore World Aquatics Championships is an achievement of significant proportions. Pieter Coetzé is a rising star in South African swimming. He faced tough competition in Singapore but was able to overcome it. To do so is a task of herculean proportions. Two Golds and one Silver is a score above the rest and Coetzé has proven that that he can achieve the unobtainable. The accomplishment of records of 48 seconds in the 100m freestyle and 52 seconds in the 100m backstroke. It shows that Coetzé has the stamina to represent South Africa in the Olympics. Coetzé is a primary example of resilience, perseverance, and endurance. Coetzé will be a primary role model of overcoming insurmountable odds.
Coetzé is a star example of South African determination. Coetzé is confident but he should not underestimate the competition he has to face in future. Coetzé has established a record and others will seek to break it.
Article written by:
Yacoob Cassim
Journalist at Radio Al Ansaar
