SOUTH AFRICAN GRAND PRIX #2 – DURBAN
- Thursday, February 20th – Sunday, February 23rd
- Kings Park Pool, Durban, KZ, RSA
- 50m (LCM)
- SwimSwam Preview
- Results
16-year-old Ethan du Preez already nailed a lifetime best in the men’s 200m fly, powering his way to a time of 1:56.50 to become South Africa’s 3rd faster performer ever in the event. However, the teen wasn’t done here at this South African Grand Prix #2 in Durban, racing in the men’s 100m fly as well.
After taking the runner-up seed in a time of 54.72 last night, the Cybersmart swimmer shaved .05 off that time to hit the wall in 54.67. That snagged gold ahead of Daniel Ronaldson who touched .20 later in 54.87. Another teen Matthew Sates posted 55.19 for bronze.
Du Preez was also on the podium in the men’s 1500m free, snagging silver in a time of 16:05.51 behind winner Ryan Breytenbauch. Breytenbauch took earned gold in 15:52.59.
Erin Gallagher was within striking distance of her 100m free national record today, racing her way to a mark of 54.90. That was after the 22-year-old produced a prelims effort of 54.80 last night, with both results sitting less than a second off of her South African standard of 54.23.
Gallagher posted that record at the 2018 Commonwealth Games where the Seagulls swimmer finished in 6th place on the Gold Coast. Gallagher also got the 50m fly gold at this meet in a time of 27.38.
Two-time gold medalist from those same Commonwealth Games, Tatjana Schoenmaker, was also in the water today, doubling up on the 50m and 200m breast here in Durban.
Schoenmaker first won the sprint in a time of 31.45 to check-in as the only sub-32 second swimmer of the field before she moved on to a time of 2:24.46 in the longer event. Her effort here sits behind her season-best of 2:22.30 logged at the Swim Cup Amsterdam this past December, a mark that renders her as the 2nd fastest swimmer in the world this season.
Tuks teen Dune Coetzee also nailed double gold to close out this Grand Prix. The African Junior Games standout punched a time of 4:20.29 in the 400m free after taking the 200m fly gold in 2:14.81.