South African Short Course: Lize-Mari Retief Caps Remarkable Meet with African Record

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, October 3. ON the final night of swimming at the South African Short Course Championships, Lize-Mari Retief lowered her own African record of the meet. Retief wound up lowering Amanda Loots' previous 100 fly record of 58.42 twice throughout the day. Retief clocked a 58.41 during semifinal swimming, before coming back with a time of 57.53 to claim the national title in front of Loots' second-place 58.16.

"I knew I would have to go out hard over the first 50 meters as Loots is a tough competitor and not one to give up easily," Retief told Swimming South Africa. "My coach told me that the effort would hurt and it did, but it was all worth it as I missed swimming fast times during my few months absence from competitive swimming due to illness."

Retief added that African record to the 50 fly standard of 26.56 during preliminary action of that event. The previous record of 26.65 had been held by Chanelle van Wyk. Retief then lowered the mark all the way down to 26.04 with a shootout win against van Wyk in finals as van Wyk took second in 28.08.

Meanwhile, Gerhard Zandberg pushed his national title haul to seven with a win in the 100 free (48.43).

Other wins came from Jessica Pengelly, 16, who won the 200 IM in 2:13.00 as well as the 200 back in 2:10.78, as well as William Diering in the 200 breast (2:09.38).

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