South African Team Dominates Africa Junior Swimming Championships

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 9. A team of teenagers from all over South Africa returned this morning (Tuesday, December 6) from a quick tour to the Africa Junior Swimming Championship after making more or less a clean sweep at the gala.

Quite different to the return of the ‘Boks after the World Cup, Bafana Bafana after their African Tour and other prominent teams who came home with their tails between their legs, the junior team of Swimming South Africa returned with 69 medals out of a possible 80.

"It was wonderful," said 13-year-old Jamie Reynolds from Pietermaritzburg, who won 5 medals (the most of all the competitors) at her first Africa event.

Her parents were not among the handful of people welcoming the 28 swimmers at the O.R. Tambo International Airport, and to celebrate with them she first had to catch a flight to Durban.

The stars of the gala were Kyle van Niekerk (13), Tammy Crafford (16) and Chanel Johnston, who recently turned 16 – all from the Waterborn Swimming Club in Randburg, whose swimmers are all trained by former champion and Olympic swimmer Peter Williams.

"It's hard work," said Kyle. They spend between 4 and 5 hours per day in the water, and train every day of the week – three times a week at five in the morning, and also in the afternoons or early evenings.

The young Van Niekerk took gold in all three of his events – 200m, 100m and 50m freestyle. His times for the 50m and 100m were SA records, as well as African records at this age-based championship.

SA team manager Anton Jordaan says each country were allowed entering only two swimmers per event, and that is the reason they won "only" 69 of the possible 80 medals in these 40 events. The entire gala had 240 medals available, (gold, silver and bronze). The South African team won 35 gold medals and set 11 gala records.

Kyle's Waterborn team members performed equally well – the two girls won five gold medals between the two of them. Chanel, who is also part of the 2012 SA Olympic training squad (the team will only be announced at a later stage), won gold in the 100m butterfly stroke and 200 m backstroke events, while she was runner-up in the individual medley event which was won by fellow South African Lindsay McCleod from Kwazulu-Natal.

"Swimming consumes my life," Chanel said at the airport, surrounded by excited team mates, friends and parents welcoming them. Chanel's father, Craig, takes her at four in the morning to the swimming pool – three times a week. "We live in Roodekrans on the West Rand and must rise early to be on time at the swimming pool in Randburg," Craig said.

Another one of the younger girls, Marlies Ross, 14, from Pretoria, who swims for the Tuks Swimming Club, won three gold and one silver medal. She came first in the 100m breast stroke, 200m individual medley and 200m freestyle, and was the runner-up in the 100m backstroke.

This brilliant athlete is also a two-time world champion after winning the World Bi-athlete Championships last year in Dubai and in 2007 in Monaco. This tough event consists of a 500m sprint, 100m swim and another 500m in running shoes.

"I started swimming when I was six years old. It helps a lot," she said proudly with a fist full of medals.

The Africa Junior Swimming Championships were held in Port Harcourt, Nigeria from 1 to 4 December.

"They have fantastic facilities – our swimming pools in Durban and Port Elizabeth look bad in comparison," some of the children said. They were quite impressed with the hospitality and safety in Nigeria – cell phones, back packs with computers and other personal items were "forgotten" and left all over the place, but nothing had been stolen since their arrival last Monday until their departure. "It was unbelievable," they said.

The children's next big challenge, besides practicing throughout the holidays, is the National Age Championship in Port Elizabeth in March next year, and swimmers who have qualified, will be allowed to take part in senior Open SA Championships in Durban, which will be their last opportunity to qualify for the Olympics.

The above article is a press release submitted to Swimming World Magazine. It has been posted in its entirety without editing. Swimming World offers all outlets the chance to reach our audience by contacting us at Newsmaster@swimmingworldmagazine.com. However, Swimming World reserves the right to choose what material is posted.

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