Tatjana Schoenmaker slayed the last of Penny Heyns’s national records on Sunday as she added the 50m breaststroke SA short-course crown to her 100m and 200m titles.
She was one of eight swimmers to beat qualifying marks for the world championships in China in December on the final day of the SA trials at Durban’s King’s Park pool‚ although Doug Erasmus was the only new face to make the list that totalled 11 in the end.
Schoenmaker‚ who took Heyns’s 50m and 100m longcourse marks at the Commonwealth Games in April‚ beat the longest-standing SA record in the morning heats.
The only mark not in her hands is the 2:18.73 for the 200m breaststroke set by Suzaan van Biljon a decade ago‚ although Schoenmaker came desperately close during the gala‚ missing out by two-tenths of a second.
The Pretoria University BCom student will surely get there‚ although it is unlikely to be at the world championships‚ which she could miss if her university exam schedule does not fit in.
The oldest SA record now belongs to another former Olympic gold medallist‚ Ryk Neethling.
In the 50m breaststroke, Cameron van der Burgh‚ with only three weeks of training under his belt‚ trailed Brad Tandy into the second lap‚ but he won in 26.47. Tandy was second in 26.66. Erin Gallagher broke the SA 50m freestyle record as she notched up her fourth qualifying time of the gala‚ adding to her success in the 100m freestyle‚ 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley.
Schoenmaker in record 50m
Image: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Tatjana Schoenmaker slayed the last of Penny Heyns’s national records on Sunday as she added the 50m breaststroke SA short-course crown to her 100m and 200m titles.
She was one of eight swimmers to beat qualifying marks for the world championships in China in December on the final day of the SA trials at Durban’s King’s Park pool‚ although Doug Erasmus was the only new face to make the list that totalled 11 in the end.
Schoenmaker‚ who took Heyns’s 50m and 100m longcourse marks at the Commonwealth Games in April‚ beat the longest-standing SA record in the morning heats.
The only mark not in her hands is the 2:18.73 for the 200m breaststroke set by Suzaan van Biljon a decade ago‚ although Schoenmaker came desperately close during the gala‚ missing out by two-tenths of a second.
The Pretoria University BCom student will surely get there‚ although it is unlikely to be at the world championships‚ which she could miss if her university exam schedule does not fit in.
The oldest SA record now belongs to another former Olympic gold medallist‚ Ryk Neethling.
In the 50m breaststroke, Cameron van der Burgh‚ with only three weeks of training under his belt‚ trailed Brad Tandy into the second lap‚ but he won in 26.47. Tandy was second in 26.66. Erin Gallagher broke the SA 50m freestyle record as she notched up her fourth qualifying time of the gala‚ adding to her success in the 100m freestyle‚ 50m butterfly and 100m individual medley.
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