Schoenmaker & Gallagher Join Le Clos On South African Worlds Roster

Swimming South Africa has finally announced its 18-strong roster set to compete the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, Korea next month.

The lineup includes an even split of 9 men and 9 women and the swimmers are also classified within different tiers. The tiers represent the different financial assistance provided, as follows:

• Tier 1 swimmers – Olympic QT, fully subsidized by Swimming South Africa (SSA) or South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) (OPEX)
• Tier 2 swimmers – FINA “A” QT – Swimmers contribution R2000.00 (~$135 USD/$1354 USD) *Note policy reads R2000.00, but is most likely a typo from R20,000
• Tier 3 swimmers – FINA “B” QT – Swimmers contribution R5000.00 (~$338 USD)

The Tier 1, or fully funded swimmers, include Olympic finalist Brad Tandy, Olympic champion Chad Le Clos, backstroking ace from the University of Alabama Christopher Reid, young gun freestyler Erin Gallagher, Commonwealth Games finalist Kaylene Corbett, Short Course World Championships finalist Ryan Coetzee and Commonwealth Games champion Tatjana Schoenmaker.

At the 2017 edition of the World Championships, South Africa finished 12th in the overall medal table, with just Chad Le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh landing on the podium. Le Clos took the 200m fly world title, while VDB earned bronze in the 50m breast.

Since then, however, it’s the women who have stepped it up, particularly with Schoenmaker and Gallagher. For her part, Schoenmaker took 100m/200m breaststroke double gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, nailing new South African national records in each (1:06.41, 2:22.02). She also notched a new NR in the 50m breast event in 30.82.

Gallagher also made waves on the Gold Coast, putting up lifetime bests and new national marks of 25.03 and 54.23 in the 50m and 100m free, respectively. Most recently at the South African Nationals, Gallagher scorched the field in the 50m and 100m fly events, logging new career-best efforts. Her time of 26.30 in the 50m ranks the 20-year-old 24th in the world this season, while her effort of 57.67 in the 100m has her situated as 11th in the world rankings.

Of note, both Dune Coetzee and Rebecca Meder were also named to the South African World Junior Championships roster announced earlier.

Team List
1. Alaric Basson EC Tier 3
2. Ayrton Sweeney KZN Tier 2
3. Bradley Tandy KZN Tier 1
4. Chad Le Clos WC Tier 1
5. Christopher Reid EC Tier 1
6. Dune Coetzee AG Tier 3
7. Eben Vorster FS Tier 3
8. Emma Chelius WC Tier 3
9. Erin Gallagher KZN Tier 1
10. Kaylene Corbett AG Tier 1
11. Mariella Venter AG Tier 3
12. Michael Houlie WC Tier 3
13. Nathania Van Niekerk AG Tier 2
14. Rebecca Meder KZN Tier 3
15. Ryan Coetzee KZN Tier 1
16. Tatjana Schoenmaker AG Tier 1
17. Tayla Lovemore KZN Tier 3
18. Zane Waddell FS Tier 3

Team Staff
Team Manager, Nkuli Mngadi AG
Coach, Graham Hill KZN
Coach, Rocco Meiring AG
Coach, Dellano Pinto Da Silva WP