Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry kept the South Africans from winning every swimming event on the third day of competition at the All-Africa Games. Chad Le Clos was the highlight for the South Africans with a strong swim in the 50 butterfly.
Coventry, the two-time Olympic champion in the 200 backstroke, kept Karin Prinsloo at bay in the 100 back final with a 1:01.15. Coventry has been faster this year, with a 1:00.09 from the world championships last month. She also missed her meet record of 1:00.86 from 2011. Prinsloo was second in 1:02.53. Teammate Jessica Ashley-Cooper earned another medal in Brazzaville with a 1:03.32 for third.
Le Clos, swimming only the sprint butterfly at the meet, claimed the 50 fly in 23.51. It beat the meet record of 23.57 by Jason Dunford, but is slower than his best time of the year, a 23.23 from the Paris stop of the FINA World Cup. Egypt took silver and bronze in the race with Omar Eissa placing second with a national record 24.18 and Ahmed Bahgat third with a 24.94.
Prinsloo’s 100 back came after she had won gold in the 400 free final with a 4:18.86. Algeria’s Majda Chebaraka gave Prinsloo a race, placing second with a 4:19.24. South Africa’s Marlies Ross took the bronze with a 4:19.43.
In a close race to the finish of the men’s 100 freestyle, Clayton Jimmie took the gold medal with a 49.93 over the 49.97 swum by Egypt’s Mohamed Samy. That’s a national record for Samy, eclipsing his 50.05 from this past April. Caydon Muller was third with a 50.28. Notably, Bradley Vincent of Maritius broke his national record of 50.52 with a 50.39 for fourth place.
South Africa went 1-2 in the men’s 200 backstroke, as Martin Bindell and Richard Ellis touched in times of 2:02.23 and 2:02.32, respectively. Well back in third was Egypt’s Mohamed Khaled with a 2:04.35.
The top four finishers in the women’s 50 breaststroke swam under 33 seconds. Tatjana Schoenmaker won gold with a 32.49, while Egypt’s Maii Atif took the silver medal with a 32.58. Daniela Lindemeier of Namibia won bronze with a 32.69. Kelly Gunnell of South Africa just missed being on the medal podium with a 32.85 for fourth place.
The South Africans won both relays to conclude the session, taking the women’s 400 free relay with a 3:49.04 and the men’s 800 free relay in 7:18.62. Egypt managed to snag a national record in the women’s 400 free relay with a 3:50.30 for second place, breaking the mark by seven tenths of a second. The Egyptian men demolished the national record of 7:31.60 in the 800 free relay with a 7:20.65 that won the silver medal.
2015 All-Africa Games, Day 3 – Results
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