Van Biljon finished first in a time of 2 min 18.73 secs, getting SA’s first gold medal and achieving a fantastic FINA World Short Course Championship record, previously held by Masami Tanaka of Japan in a time of 2 min 20.22 secs in 1999.
In other Sunday results, Mandy Loots and Lize Mari Retief finished forth and fifth in the 100 metres butterfly final with times of 56.95 and 57.32 respectively, bringing a successful finish in Manchester as the 5-day long event ended with 4 bronze medals, 1 silver medal and 1 gold medal for Team SA.
Early on Sunday, Pretoria-based swim star Suzaan van Biljon kept SA’s hopes of more medals alive in a morning of fast times, when she finished seventh-fastest in the 200 metres breaststroke heats, in a time of 2 min 24.46 secs to qualify for the final.
The final day’s action was expected to be a night to remember for the SA swim team, with Lize Mari Retief and Mandy Loots in the 100 metres butterfly final, and Van Biljon all vying for honours.
Earlier on Saturday Van Biljon made a trip to the medal podium to collect another bronze medal for the SA swim team, after clocking an African record in the 100m breaststroke final, during a night of pride and prestige for the Rainbow Nation, finishing with a time of 1 min 05.38 secs for third place behind American Jessica Hardy (1:04.22) and Australian, Jade Edmistone (1:04.93).
Lize-Mari Retief and Mandy Loots had also secured their spots in the 100 metres butterfly finals on Sunday, with times of 57.30 and 57.78 respectively in the semi-finals, when Retief clocked the fastest time in the 100 metres butterfly heats, ending in 57.51 to advance.
With the 100 metres butterfly final and the 50 metres freestyle too close together on the programme, Retief has opted to sit out the freestyle event, in order to focus on a fast time in the butterfly discipline.
“I didn’t feel like I was going so fast in the butterfly heats this morning and was surprised when I saw the time on the scoreboard, but I was wearing a brand new Arena swim suit, which made me swim with even greater confidence,” said Retief afterwards.
On Friday Melissa Corfe and Suzaan van Biljon had joined star men’s swimmer Gerhard Zandberg in keeping SA’s fast lane medal hunt on course, when Van Biljon showed her class in the 100 metres breaststroke semi-final as she posted a new continental best of 1:05.36, to eclipse Penny Heyns’ previous African record of 1:05.40 set back in 1999.
Following her outstanding performances at the Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships last week, Durbanite Melissa Corfe ensured her place in the final of the 400 metres freestyle, with a qualifying time of 4:05.09.
Durban-based Melissa Corfe also joined in on keeping the statisticians busy as she improved on her morning African record of 4:05.09 in the 400 metres freestyle final, to finish sixth in the evening final in 4:03.50.
Van Biljon and Corfe returned to the water as part of SA’s 4 x 100 metres individual medley relay team, along with Mandy Loots and Lize-Mari Retief, to clock 4:03.62 – the sixth fastest time in the heats, which earned them a place in the final.
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