WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024
Read our previous continental review here.
It was a big night for the African continent on day 6 of the Doha 2024 World Championships. South Africa had many swimmers competing in the semi-finals of the 100 butterfly as well as swimmers in the semi-finals of the women’s 200 back and 50 butterfly. But our focus will be Pieter CoetzeeBronze medal performance in the men’s 200 backstroke final.
MEN’S 200 BACK – FINAL
- World Record: Aaron Peirsol, United States – 1:51.92 (2009)
- Junior World Record: Kliment Kolesnikov, Russia – 1:55.14 (2017)
- Championship Record: Aaron Peirsol, United States – 1:51.92 (2009)
- 2023 World Champion: Hubert Kos, Hungary – 1:54.14
- Olympic Qualifying Time ‘A’: 1:57.50, Olympic Qualifying Time ‘B’: 1:58.09
- Hugo Gonzales (ESP), 1:55.30
- Roman Mityukov (SUI), 1:55.40
- Pieter Coetzee (RSA), 1:55.99
- Jack Aikins (USA), 1:56.21
- Lee Juho (KOR), 1:56.38
- Apostolos Siskos (GRE), 1:56.64
- Adam Telegdy (HUN), 1:56.66
- Kai van Westering (NED), 1:57.19
Coetze, 19, burst onto the scene at the 2021 World Cup stop in Doha, where he swept the backstroke events. The meeting was part of the World Cup circuit, where the South African youngster Matt Seitz he left as a World Cup champion.
Tonight in Doha, Coetze swam the 200 back finals from lane 8, as a result of which he barely made the final due to a time of 1:57.07, beating the Tokyo Olympian Luke Greenbank and Budapest 2022 Olympian Ksawery Masiuk.
Tonight, it looked like the South African would be destined to stay 8th until the last 50 when Coetze had the fastest split in the field. Coming home in 28.67, he would pass five other swimmers to take the bronze medal, 0.22 ahead of the American Jack Aikinswhich up to that point was in the 2nd.
His final time of 1:55.99 was enough to earn him bronze in a new personal best and represents the first piece of hardware for the South African team.
Compared to the rest of the field, Coetze’s 28.67 was the fastest split by 0.31. Only gold medalist Hugo Gonzales has a split below 29 (28.98). The rest of the field was all 29 mids or higher, with the slowest split coming from Kai van Westering on 30.81. The Dutchman was 4th at 150.
Putting the split into historical perspective, Coetze’s closing 50 was the fastest of anyone since Fukuoka. Benedek Kovacswho finished 5th last summer, finished last 50 in 28.71 and was the only swimmer to go sub-29. Going back to 2022, not a single swimmer in that final has finished faster than 29.40.
One might be tempted to say that Pieter Coetze changed his strategy from the semi-finals, where he finished with a 30.00 last 50, but Coetze’s previous best showed a similar strategy and actually a faster finish.
Pieter Coetzee | 1st 50 | 2nd 50 (Overall) | 3rd 50 (Overall) | 4th 50 (Overall) |
Old PB -2022 World Juniors | 27.57 | 30.42 (57.99) | 29.73 (1:27.72) | 28.33 (1:56.05) |
New worlds PB- 2024 | 27.08 | 30.30 (57.38) | 29.94 (1:27.32) | 28.67 (1:55.99) |
If the South African can go into the race like he did in Doha and close in the same 28.33, then he should be within striking distance of or under the South African and Mainland African record. The record he held George Du Rand set at the Rome 2009 World Championships during the supersuit era and stands at 1:55.75.
Swimmer | 1st 50 | 2nd 50 (Overall) | 3rd 50 (Overall) | 4th 50 (Overall) |
Pieter Coetzee | 27.08 | 30.30 (57.38) | 29.94 (1:27.32) | 28.67 (1:55.99) |
George Du Rand | 27.05 | 28.90 (56.50) | 29.47 (1:25.42) | 30.33 (1:55.75) |
The pair obviously swam the race very differently, with Du Rand taking it almost a second faster but fading in the final 50, while Coetze seemed to bide his time to make his move in the latter stages of the race.
Other stories:
- Both of Egypt Farida Osman and South Africa Erin Gallagher (who is having an excellent meet) advanced to the semi-finals of the 50 fly. Osman, a multi-medalist in the event, heads into tomorrow’s final as the #3 seed (25.80), and Gallagher, who just recently brought back the mainland 100 fly record, enters as the #6 seed.
- Coetze was not the only man from his country to make a final, as Chad le Clos won the first semifinal of the 100 fly and advanced to tomorrow’s 100 fly as the #5 seed (51.70). Teammate Matt Sates, who had to win a swim-off to reach the semifinals, finished 10th (51.99).
NATIONAL/CONTINENTAL RECORDS UNTIL DAY 6:
- Botswana
- Adrian Robinson: Men’s 50 breast – 28.60
- Namibia
- Ronan Wadenaar: Men’s 50 breast – 27.81
- Senegal
- Matthieu Seye: Men’s 100 free – 51.41
- South Africa
- Uganda
- Jesse Ssuubi Ssengonzi: Men’s 50 Fly – 24.41
- Gloria Anna Muzito: Women’s 100 free – 56.55
Medal table (Africa) to Day 6:
CLASS | NATION | GOLD | SILVER | BRONZE | total |
1 | South Africa | 1 | 1 |