Rebecca Meder and Jessica Thompson delivered commanding performances to qualify for the upcoming World Short Course Championships in Budapest this December, at the SA Short Course Championships in Durban from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 September, 2024.
Meder shocked the field with a commanding victory in the 100m breaststroke, clocking an impressive 1:05.82 on day one to secure her spot at the global stage in an event that is not even considered her specialty.
Her triumph came ahead of Lara van Niekerk, who was returning to competition after two months of being sidelined by a back injury and finished second in 1:07.55. Meder, a two-time Olympian, then returned to dominate the 100m individual medley, touching the wall at 59.03 seconds.
“I’m really happy! I think everyone was surprised by my breaststroke. It was nice to feel calm before the race and really enjoy it.”
World Short Course Championships Budapest Qualifier, Rebecca Meder
Jessica Thompson also made her presence felt, winning the 50m butterfly in 25.92 seconds, just shy of the qualifying mark. Meanwhile, Caitlin de Lange narrowly missed out on a 100m freestyle qualifying time with a strong 54.16-second finish, now setting her sights on the 50m freestyle.
Day two brought a redemption arc for Thompson. After narrowly missing the mark in the heats and final of the 50m butterfly on Thursday, she returned with a vengeance on Friday, clocking 25.76 seconds in a time trial to earn her ticket to Budapest.
“I was nervous … There were a lot of eyes on me, but I just had to trust in my training and go for it!”
50m Butterfly Budapest Qualifier, 17-year old Jessica Thompson
Thompson went on to capture the 50m backstroke title with a time of 26.97 seconds, just missing out on another qualifying time.
Meder continued her hot streak, clinching victory in the 200m individual medley in 2:08.78, another world championship qualifier. “I was aiming for a 2:07,” admitted Meder, who holds the South African record in the event. “But I can either be hard on myself or be happy that I made the time.” Her reflections revealed the mental toughness required to continually deliver at the highest level.
By the end of the four-day competition, the clearly elated Meder wrapped up her campaign with another world champs qualifying time in the 200m breaststroke, setting a new personal best of 2:19.77.
“I wanted to see what I could do without forcing the speed, and finishing in 2:19 is incredible.”
Rebecca Meder
The final day of action also marked the end of an illustrious career for Emma Chelius. Swimming her last race, the 28-year-old anchored TUKS to a 4x50m medley relay victory in a new South African record of 1:50.95, alongside Kerryn Herbst, Georgia Els, and Caitlin de Lange.
Chelius, who reached the semifinals of the 50m freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, reflected on her emotional farewell: “It’s bittersweet, but today I just felt excited. Having my family here was the cherry on top, and I’m looking forward to the next chapter, which will still involve swimming.”
The SA Short Course Championships wrapped up with plenty of world-class performances, promising an exciting South African presence at the upcoming World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
Main Photo Caption: Triple World Short Course Championships Budapest qualifier Rebecca Meder was the star of the women’s action at the SA Short Course Championships in Durban from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 September, 2024. Photo: Supplied
Photo 2 Caption: After narrowly missing the mark in the heats and final, Jessica Thompson earned her ticket in a 50m fly time trial on Friday. Photo: Anton Geyser/SA Sports Images
Photo 3 Caption: Emma Chelius won the 4x50m medley relay with Tuks teammates Kerryn Herbst, Georgia Els and Caitlin de Lange in a new SA record in the final event of her career Chelius is pictured with teammates Kaylene Corbett (left) and Erin Gallagher (R). Photo: Supplied
(0 rating, 0 votes, rated)
Loading...
