**Retta Race also contributed to this report**
After initially announcing a 19 swimmer roster for 2023 Worlds set to take place in Fukuoka next month, South Africa has now updated its roster to 12 total swimmers. Notably absent from the new roster are Matt Sates and Pieter Coetze.
See all of the World Championships rosters released so far here with our tracker.
Sates confirmed to SwimSwam that he will not be competing at Worlds.
“It didn’t place in my new training program leading up to Paris,” he said.
Coetze also confirmed to SwimSwam that he will not be in attendance next month as well.
“My coach and I decided it would be best for my preparation for 2024 to skip this World Champs and train through with the next World Champs being so early next year too,” Coetze said.
Sates competed at Worlds last summer and finished as high as eighth as he touched in a 1:58.27 in finals of the men’s 200 IM. At the 2022 Short Course Worlds last December, Sates captured the World title in the 200 IM. He also was third in the 400 IM. Sates won the 2022 NCAA title in the 500 free but decided to forego his eligibility to turn pro.
Coetze did not compete at Worlds last summer but won the boy’s 200 back at Junior Worlds in a 1:56.05. That would have been fourth at Worlds. Coetze finished fourth in the 100 back and fifth in the 50 back at SCM Worlds in December. Coetze is committed to Cal for this upcoming season.
The overall roster has shrunk greatly. Originally, 10 women and nine men were expected to compete. Now, seven women and five men are on the roster.
Absent from the women’s roster now are Dune Coetzee, Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher, Olivia Nel, and Hannah Pearse. Instead, Trinity Hearne and Milla Drakopoulos have been added to the roster. In addition to the absences of Sates and Coetze on the men’s side, Kobe Ndebele and Matthew Randle are also not on the list anymore. No additions have occurred for the South African men.
Although the roster has shrunk, the country will still send more swimmers this summer than it did last summer. Last summer, only eight swimmers competed. The trip to the 2022 World Championships in Budapest was partially self-funded by the eight swimmers.
Lara van Niekerk was the country’s only medal winner at the 2022 Worlds as she won bronze in the women’s 50 breast. Van Niekerk was on the original 19-swimmer roster and continues to be on this 12-swimmer roster.
This is not the first time that a roster switch has happened for the South African team. Last summer, breaststrokers Tatjana Schoenmaker and Kaylene Corbett were originally set to compete at Worlds but instead turned their focus to the Commonwealth Games.
The next calendar year is very busy for international competition. 2023 Worlds will take place this July in Fukuoka, Japan. In February 2024, Worlds will take place again in Doha, Qatar. Then next July and into August will be the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Where is Chris Reid?
Is he still contending for these meets?
Going to hurt the relays. Especially Coetze and Gallager
SA athletes have to pay their way to these meets, no? Feel like that could be a consideration.
Good sponsors can help pay those costs or if they are in university, they are allowed to pay also!
Swimmers are selected to these teams with that wonderful clause that says “this tour is a self funded tour” it becomes so expensive – Worlds is R42,000; last year Junior Worlds cost our swimmers families R70,000;
RSA always has talented swimmers but seems as if their organisation is imploding.
The time is now for Roland Schoeman to play the dark horse
A crushing blow to Ben Dornan’s fantasy draft board
Oh he done
Turning pro really paying dividends for him huh
The rumors seemed to be that he didn’t have the stuff to make it through college classes, so better to not risk it I guess?
Bruh couldn’t pass art history and communication?
your point being?
It’s not that hard. Figure it out.
He didn’t even go to classes to know if he could pass! And starting two weeks late probably doesn’t help