African Long Course Championships: Two Days Down, Plenty of Meet Records Rewritten

CASABLANCA, Morocco, September 14. JUST two days into the African Long Course Championships in Casablanca, and quite a few meet records have taken a tumble.

South Africa's Karin Prinsloo twice set the meet record in the women's 100 free with a 56.48 in prelims and a 56.40 to win the title. South Africa's Leone Vorster placed second in 57.50, while Morocco's Sara El Bekri took third in 58.30.

South Africa's Kathryn Meaklim also downed a meet record twice, this in the women's 400 IM. She first clocked a 4:53.72 in prelims before crushing that time in finals with a 4:45.76. Tunisia's Sarra Lajnef (4:52.53) and South Africa's Bianca Meyer (4:52.69) also cleared Meaklim's prelim record to take second and third.

Another meet-record double occurred in the women's 50 back with South Africa's Chanelle Van Wyk clocking a 29.67 in prelims before winning the finale in 29.31. South Africa's Jessica Ashley Cooper took second in 29.90, while Egypt's Farida Osman placed third in 31.39.

Tunisia's Ahmed Mathlouthi captured the men's 200 free title in a meet-record time of 1:49.90. South Africa's Jay Cee Thompson wound up second in 1:51.51, while Egypt's Mohamed Farhoud took third in 1:53.14. Mathlouthi doubled up on the second day with an 8:10.17 in the men's 800 free. Farhoud touched second in 8:10.43, while Brown took third in 8:!2.58.

Thompson returned during the second day with a meet record in the men's 400 IM. He won in 4:21.06, while Tunisia's Taki Mrabet also cleared the previous standard with a second-place 4:24.80. South Africa's Devon Brown placed third in 4:32.52.

Tunisia's Sara Lajnef posted a 2:32.16 in the women's 200 breast, touching out El Bekri (2:32.43) as both cleared the previous meet mark. Meaklim grabbed third in 2:32.77.

In an exciting finish, Osman touched out South Africa's Vanessa Mohr, 27.28 to 27.29, in the women's 50 fly. Van Wyk took third in 27.59 as all three podium-placers eclipsed the previous meet record.

Algeria's Nabil Kebbab topped the men's 100 breast in 1:02.98. South African's William Diering (1:03.13) and Algeria's Sofiane Daid (1:03.73) finished second and third overall. Kebbab doubled up on day two with a 28.93 to win the 50 breast. Daid took second in 29.16, while Diering finished third in 29.26.

South Africa's Darren Murray claimed the men's 50 back in 26.56. South Africa's Garth Tune (27.03) and Egypt's Mohamed Khaled Hussein (27.09) placed second and third.

Kenya's Jason Dunford just missed the top 25 in the world in the men's 100 fly with a winning 52.65. South Africa's Neil Watson (53.80) and Tune (54.35) completed the podium.

Vorster grabbed the women's 200 free title in 2:02.75. South Africa's Rene Warnes took second in 2:04.95, while Tunisia's Zaineb Khalfallah placed third in 2:05.09.

In relay action, South Africa's Leone Vorster, Kathryn Meaklim, Jessica Ashley Cooper and Rene Warnes set a meet record in the women's 800 free relay with a triumphant 8:27.61.

Day One/Two Results

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