South African Short Course Championships: Natalie Du Toit Lowers Two More Paralympic World Records

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, August 7. TWO days, four World Records. There is no stopping Natalie Du Toit. On Friday 6 August, Natalie Du Toit, twice broke the World Record in the 100m Individual Medley at the Telkom SA Short Course Championships in Pietermartizburg. On Saturday 7 August she did it again. Natalie needed a mere 29.63sec for the 50m Freestyle in the SM 9 Category, breaking the previous record by 13/100's of second. Annabelle Williams of Australia had swum 29.73sec in 2007. A couple of hours later and she was back in the pool, this time in the 50m Butterfly. Natalie's 31.68sec beat the previous world record of 31.87sec set by Stephanie Milward in 2008.

Earlier in the day in the morning heats Darian Townsend posted World Short Course Championship qualifying time of 54.89sec in the 100m Individual Medley heats.
Leonie Vorster upset the applecart in the 100m backstroke pipping pre-race favorite Chanelle van Wyk by the smallest of fractions. Vorster took the lead in the last 15m to win in 1:00.63 to Van Wyk's 1:00.82.

Gerhard Zandberg once again set a qualifying standard for the FINA World Short Course Championships in Dubai in the 100m Backstroke. Zandberg moved away from George Du Rand at the 75m mark and touched the wall in 52.46sec ahead of Du Rand's 53.56 sec – the qualification time was 53.43sec.

Roland Schoeman was pushed hard in the 50m Butterfly final by 21 year-old Graeme Moore. Schoeman's start and turn were impeccable as always, but Moore was not going to let him go, and with 15m to go was slightly ahead of Schoeman. But the former World Record Holder was not going to let his title go and forged ahead in the final 5m to win in 23.46sec with Moore touching in 23.53sec; both posting a World Short Course Championship qualifying time.

Moore then turned the tables on Schoeman in the second Semi-Final of the men's 100m Freestyle. In the first semi-final Lyndon Ferns clocked 48.88sec. Moore though stormed through the second semi-final in 47.93sec, Neil Watson finishing second (49.53sec) and Schoeman 3rd (49.54sec).

Cameron van der Burgh showed just why he is the country's best swimmer in the 100m Breaststroke. Van der Burgh ripped through the pool to touch in 58.99sec, well inside the required 1:00.15 needed to qualify for the World Short Course Championships.

Wendy Trott comfortably booked her place on the team when she cruised to a win in the 800m Freestyle with a time of 8:23.29. The time set by Swim SA was 8:35.34.

Heerden Herman – who will be off to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Games in October – made sure of his victory with a time of 8:01.24 in the men's 800m freestyle final.

Graeme Moore won the first of the 100m Individual Medley semi-finals in 54.81sec with Gerhard Zandberg second in 54.90sec – both under the required 55.06sec set by Swim SA as a qualification time. In the second semi-final Darian Townsend confirmed his good performance of the morning heats by winning the second semi-final in 54.93sec.

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