Michael Houlie, Chris Smith Headed to Worlds after Fast South African Championships
Michael Houlie and Chris Smith are both headed to the World Aquatics Championships after putting down fast times at the South African Senior Championships Saturday.
Both swimmers got their cuts in prelims, where Smith went 26.98 and Houlie 26.90 to get under the auto standard of 27.33. Houlie replicated his time at night to win the title, with Smith second in 27.11.
Simone Moll won the women’s 50 breaststroke at backstroke Newton Park Swimming Pool in Gqeberha. Her time of 31.33 was slower than the 31.15 from prelims, and she fell shy of the auto qualifying cut of 30.75. Kaylene Corbett was second in 31.62, while the event was missing Lara van Niekerk, who is missing the meet with an injury.
- Meet Information
- Psych Sheet
- South African Swimming Night 1 Recap
- South African Swimming Night 2 Recap
- South African Swimming Night 3 Recap
Pieter Coetzee won another title, going 22.45 to claim the 50 freestyle. He earned a Worlds cut in the morning with a prelims swim of 22.05. Guy Brooks finished second in 22.94, and Armand Landmann also broke 23 twice, his fastest 22.96 in prelims.
Matt Sates won his fifth event of the meet, going 52.92 to win the men’s 100 butterfly. Erin Gallagher won the women’s race in 59.16, ahead of Rebecca Meder, though that time was shy of the Worlds A cut.
Dune Coetzee showed her range by winning the 800 free in 8:38.08, about three seconds off the Worlds A cut. Catherine Van Rensburg was second in 8:44.48. The men’s 800 free went to Matthew Caldwell, who outdueled Adrian Van Wyk down the stretch. Caldwell won in 8:07.31, .41 over a best time from Van Wyk. Kris Mihaylov was third, with seven of the top eight spots belonging to teenagers, including a top five capped by Matthew Groller going 8:14.65.
The five-day meet wraps up on Sunday.