Latest news with #Coetzé
TimesLIVE
2 hours ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Chris Smith shows his potential as he ends sixth in 50m breaststroke final
Chris Smith did everything asked of him as he finished sixth in a personal best time in the 50m breaststroke final at the world championships in Singapore on Wednesday night. At 19 he was the youngest in the field, but Smith touched in 26.75sec — one hundredth of a second behind fifth-placed German Melvin Imoudu and two-hundredths behind Russian Ivan Kozhakin. The Centurion-based Smith would have needed to go 26.67 to share bronze with 100m breaststroke champion Haiyang Qin of China. To put that into perspective, Qin's time equalled the sixth-fastest effort by South Africa's former two-time world champion and multiple record-holder Cameron van der Burgh. And then factor in how much room for improvement there is in Smith's underwater work after the dive and it's clear that this kid has huge potential and should be given full support in the build-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. There are comforting similarities to freshly minted 100m backstroke world championPieter Coetzé, who also had to work on his underwater technique and possessed great natural speed on top of the water. Italian Simone Cerasuolo won gold in 26.54 and 29-year-old Russian Kirill Prigoda took silver in 26.62. Coetzé will be back in action in the 200m backstroke on Thursday morning, along with Erin Gallagher (100m freestyle), Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke) and the women's 4x200m freestyle relay team.
The Herald
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Matthew Sates' lingering slump extends to 200m individual medley at world champs
Even Coetzé was unable to match his golden 51.85 effort from Tuesday night in the mixed 4x100m medley relay heats, though his 53.01 was enough to give his teammates the lead. However, that was quickly gobbled up as Kaylene Corbett, a 200m specialist, was overhauled in the breaststroke leg where most of the other teams opted for men. The biggest gap between men's and women's 100m world records is in the breaststroke, at 7.25sec, some two seconds more than the others. Backstroke is 5.53, freestyle 5.31 and butterfly 5.15. Statistically Corbett never stood a chance. Erin Gallagher swam the third fly leg and Matthew Caldwell, a distance specialist, closed out the race on the freestyle leg with South Africa touching eighth in their heat and 18th overall in 3:52.03. None of the four matched their personal bests, but even then it probably wouldn't have got the team into the final. The only South African in action on Wednesday night is 19-year-old Chris Smith in the 50m breaststroke final (2.03pm SA time).
Daily Maverick
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Maverick
SA's Pieter Coetzé clinches gold at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore
South Africa earned their first medal at the World Aquatics Championships after star swimmer Pieter Coetzé claimed gold in the 100m backstroke on Tuesday. South African swimming sensation Pieter Coetzé won the gold medal in the 100m backstroke final at the World Aquatic Championships in Singapore on Tuesday. Coetzé is the first South African medallist at this year's championships. The 21-year-old raced home in 51.85 seconds, an African record in the event. Despite dominating local pools and smaller competitions, it was Coetzé's first world senior title. At the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris last year, he finished fifth in the same event, with a time of 52.58. The winner was Italy's Thomas Ceccon, who completed the two-lap event in 52 seconds flat. On this occasion, it was Coetzé who touched the wall quickest, ahead of Ceccon, who finished second in 51.90 seconds. Yohann Ndoye-Brouard of France took the bronze medal in 51.92 seconds. Coetzé was a mere 0.25 seconds off Ceccon's world record. 'I always thought it would happen eventually,' said Coetzé, referring to his first senior world title. 'In my mind, it was just a matter of time, but to do it this year is amazing. 'It was awesome. The competition was very deep here, so there were eight guys who could have won it. 'Every time I break [the African record], I'm really happy with it. 'I can't explain, but it was more about the win tonight than the time, so if I won with a second slower time, it would still be as good. In the final, you don't really think about the time at all.' A backstroke clinic Coetzé's first 50m weren't that quick, and he dropped to fourth place in the opening lap, after qualifying third-fastest in his semifinal. But his turn at the wall was faultless, and he picked up speed underwater before turning on the afterburners as Russian swimmer Kliment Kolesnikov slipped from pole position. The big push came in the final 20m, when Coetzé took the lead for the first time and didn't let it slip, reaching out and touching the wall ahead of Ceccon. It was the second time the talented young athlete had claimed a win in sub-52, after he took home gold at the World University Games earlier this month, finishing in 51.99 seconds — an African record at the time. 'The University Games prepared me really well,' said Coetzé. 'The guys went fast there as well. But I'm over the moon. It was anyone's game. I knew that going into it, and to get away with the win is awesome.' The superstar swimmer still has the 50m and 200m backstroke events to come at the World Aquatics Championships. Other SA contenders Earlier in the evening, Coetzé's teammate Chris Smith booked his ticket to the final of the 50m breaststroke. The 19-year-old won his morning heat in 26.82 seconds and then went even better in the evening semifinals, finishing second in a personal best time of 26.77 seconds, behind Koen de Groot (26.71). That saw him through to Wednesday's final as the joint fifth-fastest. The other South African in action in the evening session was Aimee Canny, who had finished third in her morning heat in 1:57.53 to qualify eighth fastest for the 200m freestyle semifinals. She went slightly slower in the semifinal, finishing in sixth place in 1:57.72, missing out on the final in 12th overall. Apart from Smith taking to the blocks for the 50m breaststroke final, Wednesday's programme will see Olivia Nel, fresh from her four medals at the World University Games, lining up in the heats of the 50m backstroke, while Matt Sates is in the 200m individual medley and the South Africans will be in action in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. DM
The Herald
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Pieter Coetzé takes gold as he torpedoes world's best backstrokers
Pieter Coetzé torpedoed the world's best backstrokers as he raced to gold in the 100m event at the world championships in Singapore on Tuesday, claiming South Africa's first medal of the gala. The race featured the Olympic 100m and 200m backstroke champions and while it was neck-and-neck for 75m, when Coetzé put the hammer down his rivals were unable to respond. The 21-year-old touched in 51.85sec — equalling the world's third-fastest time achieved in this event — with Italian Thomas Ceccon, the owner of the 51.60 world record and gold medallist from the 2024 Paris Games, second in 51.90 and Frenchman Yohann Ndoye-Brouard third in 51.92. Hungarian Hubert Kos, the Olympic 200m backstroke champion, was fourth in 52.20. Just more than a week ago Coetzé became the first swimmer in two years to dip under 52 seconds in the 100m backstroke when he won the World Student Games gold in 51.99.
The South African
a day ago
- Sport
- The South African
GOLD for South Africa's Pieter Coetzé in the pool in Singapore
Pieter Coetzé powered his way to South Africa's first medal of the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, claiming gold in the 100m backstroke on Tuesday. The 21-year-old was third fastest in the semi-finals, but outduelled Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon and France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard in the second half of the final to reach the wall in a sensationally quick new African record time of 51.85 seconds, just 0.25 of a second off Ceccon's world record. The Italian was second in 51.90 seconds, with Ndoye-Brouard third in 51.92 and 200m backstroke Olympic champion Hubert Kos relegated to fourth in 52.20. 'I always thought it would happen eventually,' admitted Coetzé afterwards during his poolside TV interview. 'In my mind, it was just a matter of time, but to do it this year is amazing.' Speaking again a little later, he added: 'It was awesome. The competition was very deep here, so there were eight guys who could have won it. 'The [World] University Games prepped me really well. The guys went fast there as well. But I'm over the moon. It was anyone's game. I knew that going into it and to get away with the win is awesome.' As for the time he swam, the TUKS psychology student added: 'Every time I break [the African record], I'm really happy with it. I can't explain, but it was more about the win tonight than the time, so if I won with a second slower time, it would still be as good. I think in a final, you don't really think about the time at all.' With one medal already in the bag, Coetzé still has the 50m and 200m backstroke events to come. Earlier in the evening, his team-mate Chris Smith booked his ticket to the final of the 50m breaststroke. The 19-year-old won his morning heat in 26.82 seconds and then went even better in the evening semifinals, finishing second in a personal best time of 26.77 seconds, behind Koen de Groot (26.71). That saw him through to Wednesday's final as the joint fifth fastest. The other South African in action in the evening session was Aimee Canny, who had finished third in her morning heat in 1:57.53 to qualify eighth fastest for the 200m freestyle semi-finals. She went slightly slower in the semi-final, finishing in sixth place in 1:57.72, so missing out on the final in 12th overall. Apart from Smith taking to the blocks for the 50m breaststroke final, Wednesday's programme will see Olivia Nel, fresh from her four medals at the World University Games, lining up in the heats of the 50m backstroke while Matt Sates will take on the 200m individual medley and the South Africans will be in action in the mixed 4x100m medley relay. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
