Olympian Duné Coetzee added the 200m freestyle title to her championship haul with a B qualifying time on day three of the SA Short Course Championships at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
Coetzee claimed victory in 1:56.78, a B qualifying mark that means she can still be selected in the event for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing, China from 1 to 6 December. She had already booked her ticket to China with a qualifying time in the 400m freestyle.
“I really just wanted to go for it and give my everything. I told [coach] Wayne [Riddin] this morning that I want to go 1:56, and he said: ‘Go 1:57, and if you go 1:56, that’s a bonus.’ So, wow. I’m so, so happy,” said Coetzee.
Another B qualifier on Saturday came from 19-year-old Sofia French, who claimed victory in the 400m individual medley in 4:45.79.
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“Going into the race, I told myself to just go for it, there’s nothing to lose, and let’s just try my best. And then during the race, I felt so strong…” said an elated French, who explained she was aiming for the qualifying time in the 200m individual medley rather than the 400m event. “You know that quote ‘God is within her, she will not fail’ was just in my brain constantly, and I think that gave me strength.”
Olympic champion Tatjana Smith swam in the heats of the 200m breaststroke, recording the fastest time of the morning in 2:23.27, but having shifted her focus to the 50m event, she opted to withdraw from the evening final.
Kat Swanepoel was once again in record-breaking form in the Para swimming events. The Johannesburg star broke her own national record in the S5 50m freestyle in the morning heats in 44.12 seconds before going even quicker in the evening, bettering the mark to 43.49.
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“Today was another good day in the pool,” said the former world champion. “Broke the SA record in the S5 50m free this morning. It was a bit of a messy race and I battled with the heat so really happy to come back in the evening and fix some of the technical errors and lower this morning’s record in the evening finals.”
The championships conclude at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool on Sunday, 27 September.
Original Copy: Karien Jonckheere for Swimming South Africa, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: Olympian Duné Coetzee claimed the 200m freestyle title in 1:56.78, a B qualifying time for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing, China, adding to the qualifying time she had already achieved in the 400m freestyle, on day three of the SA Short Course Championships at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, 26 September 2026. Photo: Captured by Col
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