Swimming World Magazine has voted South African swimming star Suzaan van Biljon as Africa’s Female Swimmer of the Year in Phoenix, Arizona.
The magazine, which also publishes online, reports that only one vote prevented a unanimous vote confirming the young swimmer as the continent’s No. 1 female athlete.
Van Biljon placed second behind Zimbabwe’s Kristy Coventry a year ago, but finished 2006 with those positions reversed.
Performances taken into account in awarding the 18-year-old the continent’s honours include her status as the world’s No. 4 in the 200m breaststroke following her bronze medal finish in Melbourne’s Commonwealth Games in March, and her first-place finish in August’s Pan Pacific Championships.
Van Biljon confirmed her position in domestic competition when she hauled in four gold medals in each of the Telkom South African National Championships and the South African Telkom Short Course National Championships, in addition to the prized medal in the 50m and 200m events in Hamburg’s Deutscher Ring Aquatics during women’s month this year.
1. Suzaan van Biljon, South Africa
2. Kirsty Coventry, Zimbabwe
3t. Amanda Loots, South Africa
3t. Leone Vorster, South Africa
5. Tamaryn Laubscher, South Africa
Click here to Open the Swimming World Magazine website article.
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