Swimming South Africa Announces World Championships Team

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 20. SWIMMING South Africa announced its World Championships team that will competed in Melbourne, Australia in March 2007. Overall, the roster checks in with 14 swimmers.

Roland Schoeman, Ryk Neethling, Lyndon Ferns, George du Rand, Gerhard Zandberg, Jean Basson, Thabang Moeketsane, Garth Tune and Cameron van der Burgh comprise the men's team, while Suzaan van Biljon, Wendy Trott, Karin Prinsloo, Keri Shaw and Chanelle van Wyk make up the women's roster.

"We have selected a team with some very experienced swimmers as well as some youngsters from our junior elite squad," said Swimming South Africa's Performance Manager Rushdee Warley. "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 the men's 400 freestyle, men's 400 medley and women's 400 medley."

Prinsloo, Shaw and van Wyk were chosen exclusively for the relay team, but may compete in individual events.

"We decided to include Keri because she consistently swam faster times in the butterfly during the season than any other swimmer," Warley said. "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."

The two biggest names not on the list belong to Mandy Loots, who won the 100 fly at the national trials, and Darian Townsend, who helped the 400 free relay win at the 2004 Athens Games.

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