Tatjana Smith picked up where she left off, claiming another national title and setting two personal bests on her return to competitive swimming at the SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Thursday.
The Olympic champion announced her return to the sport with an impressive opening swim in the 50m breaststroke – her new specialist event – winning her morning heat in 29.90 seconds and then going even faster in the evening, taking the title in 29.50 seconds.
Both times were under the required qualifying marks for the World Short Course Championships taking place in Beijing, China from 1-6 December – an event which will herald her return to international competition.
Smith was thrilled with her first day back.
“I think this morning I was very surprised. It's the first race, a new event; there are a lot of things going on in your mind, and it's not a space where you feel comfortable, like I used to in my 200m.
“So I was very surprised with that time, especially because I didn't feel like I executed it that well… But I didn't do so bad. Not bad at all. Two PBs in one day, so, very happy.”
FOUR SWIMMERS QUALIFY FOR BEIJING
Also booking their tickets to Beijing were Michael Houlie and Chris Smith, who both went under the required time in the men’s 50m breaststroke. Houlie achieved it in the morning heats before going quicker in the final to claim the title in 26.15 seconds. Smith was second in 29.21 seconds.
“I’m grateful to be racing on SA soil again and to be at this place. I haven't been here in 10 years, and almost swimming in a way that just makes my younger self proud of everything that's happened over the past 10 years,” said Houlie afterwards.
As for being pushed all the way by Smith, he reckoned: “If you look at the legacy that South Africa has in breaststroke, we have strong roots. And Chris and I are just carrying that through, and I think especially now leading up to LA, it's a great spot to be in. Both of us are doing pretty well and continue to just push each other in every moment that we have, and continue to just build and build.”
Smith also said he relished the rivalry. “I always love having Michael next to me, even at international galas. I’m just so used to him swimming next to me, seeing his face,” he said.
“With Michael you never know. It's always 50/50. I take one, he takes the other one. But I always think I can win it. Just today, it wasn't in my favour.”
The other swimmer to secure her spot on the team for the World Short Course Championships was Duné Coetzee, swimming in her home pool after recently making a move to train in Pietermaritzburg.
Coetzee achieved the qualifying time in the heats of the 400m freestyle, finishing in a time of 4 minutes 05.54 seconds. She went slightly slower in the final but still took the title in 4:06.29.
“I just decided this morning that I really want to go for it because I like to get it done and out of the way, and now I can just have some fun,” she said afterwards.
“I must say I was stressed this morning, because it's kind of a lot of pressure to put on yourself for your opening race, and it's also my first tapered race on my new programme. So, I definitely was feeling some nerves.”
Several other swimmers achieved B qualifying times for the World Championships, making sure they can still be selected for the team. They included Matthew Caldwell, who took the 400m freestyle title in 3:45.23 and Mila van der Linde who won the 100m backstroke title in 59.35.
Both Abigail Kotze (59.11) and Anje van As (59.21) dipped under the B qualifier in the women’s 100m butterfly, while Jarden Eaton (51.62) and Kaydn Naidoo (51.88) did the same in the men’s 100m butterfly.
There were also two B qualifiers in the women’s 200m individual medley, with Georgia Nel taking the title in 2:13.10 and Sofia French second in 2:13.71.
Swimming action resumes at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg on Friday and continues until Sunday.