Swimming South Africa has announced five women as part of the 14-member team to represent South Africa at the 12th FINA World Championships, to be held in Melbourne during March 2007.
Suzaan van Biljon, Wendy Trott, Karin Prinsloo, Keri Shaw and Chanelle van Wyk are the South African women who managed to qualified for Melbourne under extreme qualification conditions in Durban a week ago.
Rushdee Warley, Swimming South Africa’s Performance Manager, said he believes they have chosen a well balanced team. “We have selected a team with some very experienced swimmers as well as some youngsters from our junior elite squad,” said Warley.
The team includes three relay teams. “In order to qualify for the relay events in Beijing, South Africa must be in the top 12 in the world, and we are hoping to achieve this at the World Championships. The three relays that South Africa is going to attempt to qualify in are: men 4×100 freestyle, men 4×100 medley and woman 4×100 medley.
“In the women’s relay we have selected a team that we believe have the potential to carry on towards not only Beijing 2008 but also to London in 2012.” Karin Prinsloo, Keri Shaw and Chanelle van Wyk were chosen exclusively for the relay team, but will also compete in individual events if it does not interfere with the relay event.
“We decided to include Keri because she consistently swam faster times in the butterfly during the season than any other swimmer. At this moment we are hoping that the woman’s relay team will finish among the top twelve countries in the world. Anything better will be a bonus,” said Warley.
He said the qualifying times at the trials were exceptionally high. "We have to make swimmers understand that those times are what is required to compete at international level."
The team for Melbourne 2007 is:
1. Roland Schoeman
2. Ryk Neethling
3. Suzaan van Biljon
4. Lyndon Ferns
5. Wendy Trott
6. George du Rand
7. Gerhard Zandberg
8. Jean Basson
9. Thabang Moeketsane
10. Garth Tune
11. Cameron van der Burg
12. Karin Prinsloo
13. Keri Shaw
14. Chanelle van Wyk
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