Male Breakout Swimmer of the Year: Pieter Coetze Dazzled in Backstroke Events
At the start of the 2025 campaign, Pieter Coetze was hardly an unknown talent. As a Commonwealth Games champion and medalist at the 2024 World Championships, the South African already owned several standout performances on the international stage. Still, what he managed at last summer’s World Champs in Singapore elevated Coetze to another level, perhaps as the most well-rounded backstroker in the world.
At the World Champs, Coetze earned a podium position in all three backstroke disciplines, highlighted by a gold-medal performance in the 100 distance. The showing not only enhanced the profile of the 21-year-old, but also earned Coetze recognition as Swimming World’s Male Breakout Swimmer of the Year.
Also in contention for Male Breakout Swimmer of the Year were American Luca Urlando and Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi. While Urlando claimed the gold medal in the 200 butterfly at the World Championships, Jaouadi doubled in the distance events in Singapore, prevailing in the 800 freestyle and 1500 freestyle.
Coetze arrived at the World Championships carrying significant momentum. In what proved to be a highly beneficial decision, Coetze raced at the World University Games just a week before heading to Singapore and earned gold medals in the 50 backstroke and 100 backstroke, and a silver medal in the 100 freestyle. The 100 backstroke saw Coetze break the 52-second barrier for the first time and provided major momentum for the bigger moments ahead.
At Worlds, Coetze shared the silver medal in the 50 backstroke and pressed Olympic champion Hubert Kos to the finish in the 200 backstroke to grab another silver medal. The duel between Kos and Coetze was sensational from start to finish, with Coetze surging to the lead at the midway point of the race. And while Koss moved in front on the third length, Coetze battled down the last 50 meters to set an African record of 1:53.36. That time makes Coetze the No. 7 performer in history.
As stellar as Coetze was in the longest of the backstroke races, the 100 backstroke defined his meet. Coetze was the titlist in an African record of 51.85, that performance vaulting him to No. 3 all-time. The victory also proved Coetze capable of handling major pressure, as he had to defeat Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (51.90), the reigning Olympic champion.
“It’s amazing to call myself a world champion in a field like that,” Coetze said. “I’m trying to soak it all in and can’t really put it into words…I’m over the moon. I don’t even know what to say. To win in a field like that, with all those big names…I knew it was going to be a big race.”
In the 2025 world rankings, Coetze slotted third in the 50 backstroke (24.17), second in the 100 backstroke (51.85) and second in the 200 backstroke (1:53.36). His top mark of 47.88 in the 100 freestyle showed his range, and ranked 17th in the world rankings.