Team South Africa’s campaign came to a close with Kaylene Corbett returning home as South Africa’s sole woman medalist at the World Swimming Championships, when she swam to a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke in Singapore on Friday, 1 August 2025.
The 26-year-old reached the first turn in fifth place and steadily worked her way up to fourth by the second and third. A final push saw her surging into medal contention, claiming a joint bronze medal with Russian Alina Zmushka in a time of 2:23.52.
Olympic champion Kate Douglass of the USA took the gold in a championship record time of 2:18.50, the second fastest time in history, with world record-holder Evgeniia Chikunova second in 2:19.96.
“It’s been a really hectic year, and it just feels like it really came together when it should, so I’m just really, really stoked about it. I’m very, very happy,” said an emotional Corbett after claiming her first world championship medal.
“I just think that I gave everything I had, and I’m just really proud of myself with that performance.”
World Swimming Championships Singapore 200m Breaststroke Bronze Medalist, Kaylene Corbett
The Pretoria swimmer has reached all her previous major finals alongside South Africa’s four-time Olympic medallist and former world-record holder Tatjana Smith, and added: “Even though the world record-holder was there, even though the Olympic champion was there, I’ve been fortunate enough to swim next to Tatjana, so I know that those titles don’t always mean everything all the time.”
“I’ve been fortunate enough to swim under pressure next to her my whole career basically, so it’s really special to be able to win this medal. I just wish she was on the podium with me.”
In other results, the South African quartet of Olivia Nel, Rebecca Meder, Erin Gallagher and Aimee Canny blazed to a new national and continental record of 3:59.47 in the 4x100m medley relay, but just missed out on the final by one place.
“It was so good. A little before the relay, we were all just taking a little peek at the African record because we realised the group of girls we were sitting with, and we totally knew it was possible, so the fact that we got that was so awesome,” said Nel afterwards, with the group also expressing their goal of a podium place at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Gallagher wrapped up her individual events at these championships with an eighth place in the 50m butterfly final. The 26-year-old was disappointed to have gone slower than her semifinal time, finishing in 25.66 seconds.
American Gretchen Walsh took the gold in 24.83 seconds with Australian Alexandria Perkins second in 25.31 and Belgian Roos Vanotterdijk claiming bronze in 25.43 seconds.
“Honestly, I was feeling really good, feeling really confident. I obviously knew I had a chance at medalling and I really felt it,” said Gallagher after the race.
“But in swimming, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. It’s one of the most frustrating sports in the world, but you know what, what can you do? It’s done now. There’s nothing I can change, I can’t go back, so I’ve just got to keep going forward, I guess.”
50m Butterfly Finalist, Erin Gallagher
Gallagher’s national record time of 25.39 seconds in the semifinal a day earlier would have earned her a spot on the podium on Saturday.
“It would have placed me third, which is really hard; it’s a big pill to swallow. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter about times, it comes down to the race,” she said. “Last night was obviously my night, and I just couldn’t replicate it tonight, which is hard and tough to accept, but I’ve got to take it on the chin and do better next time.”
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200m breaststroke bronze medallist Corbett won her 50m breaststroke heat, but her time of 31.43 seconds was not quick enough to see her through to the semifinals after finishing 27th overall.
Cailtin de Lange swam a personal best time of 24.95 seconds in the 50m freestyle to finish seventh in her heat and 18th overall, just missing out on the semifinals.
Original Copy: Karien Jonckheere for Swimming SA, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: The World Swimming Championships have come to a close and Kaylene Corbett swam to a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke on Friday, 1 August 2025 in Singapore. The 26-year-old reached the first turn in fifth place and steadily worked her way up to fourth by the second and third. A final push saw her surging into medal contention, claiming a joint bronze medal with Russian Alina Zmushka in a time of 2:23.52. Photo: Wade Brennan
Photo 2 Caption: The SA quartet of Olivia Nel, Rebecca Meder, Erin Gallagher and Aimee Canny blazed to a new national and continental record of 3:59.47 in the 4x100m medley relay, just missing out on the final by one place. Photo: World Aquatics
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