SA junior swimming team brings home 52 medals from African championships

JOHANNESBURG  -  The South African junior swimming team dominated the continent at the 16th African Junior Swimming Championship.

Swimming South Africa sent 24 swimmers, and they brought home 52 medals: 25 Gold, 17 Silver and 10 Bronze.

The swimmers arriving in the country on Monday morning competed in Cairo, Egypt, from 30 April to 4 May.

The Africa Junior Swimming Championships are one of the premier competitions for young swimmers across the continent, providing a vital platform for emerging talents to gain international experience and showcase their skills.

READ: Swimming SA sends 24 swimmers to the 16th Africa Aquatics Junior Championships

 
The host nation, Egypt, came second to Mzansi with 43 medals: 10 Gold,19 silver and 14 bronze.

The two nations claimed the majority of gold medals, with Egypt excelling in backstroke and IM events, while South Africa dominated sprints and relays.

TOP TEAM SA PERFORMANCES

• In the men’s 400m Freestyle, 17-year-old Adrian Van Wyk broke the African record in a time of 3:54.86, eclipsing the previous record of 3:58.44.

• Jessica Thompson broke the women’s 100m backstroke record in a time of 1:02.51; the previous record was 1:03.67.

• South Africa’s quartet in the women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay rewrote history in a time of 3:51.68.

• Breaststroke specialist Keira Van Heerden edged out Egypt’s Ganat Karem Hafez to claim gold in the 50m Breaststroke.

• The youngest podium finisher in the 800m freestyle was 15-year-old Matthew Goller in a time of 8:17.00.

• In the mixed 4x100 medley relay, South Africa set a new benchmark in 4:00.11.