South African flag raised TWICE at World Aquatics Championships
After his victory in the 100m backstroke on Tuesday, Coetzé lined up among the favourites, having qualified fastest for the final of the 200m event with a new African record in the semi-finals.
The Pretoria swimmer went out hard in the final, turning first at both the 50m and 100m marks under world record pace, but was hunted down in the second half of the race by Olympic champion Hubert Kόs.
While Coetzé closed in on the Hungarian in the final metres of the race, he just couldn't out-touch him, finishing second in 1:53.36 seconds, just 0.17 of a second off the gold.
That took almost a second off the African record he set in the semi-finals and is the seventh fastest time in history.
Both Kόs and Coetzé's times beat Kόs's gold medal-winning time from last year's Olympic Games in Paris.
'Coming into this, I didn't really expect to go that fast. This has exceeded all my expectations and it's just a big honour to be in a race like that,' said an elated Coetzé afterwards.
'I kind of expected to be out very fast. I could feel that I was moving at a high pace, and I knew that I would feel it in the end, and I did.
'But it's a big PB for me so I'm super-happy with the time.'
Just one race later, Corbett dived in for the final of the 200m breaststroke.
The 26-year-old reached the first turn in fifth place and steadily worked her way up to fourth by the second and third.
A final push saw her surging into medal contention, claiming a joint bronze medal with Russian Alina Zmushka in a time of 2:23.52.
Olympic champion Kate Douglass of the USA took the gold in a championship record time of 2:18.50, the second fastest time in history, with world record-holder Evgeniia Chikunova second in 2:19.96.
'It's been a really hectic year, and it just feels like it really came together when it should, so I'm just really, really stoked about it. I'm very, very happy,' said an emotional Corbett after claiming her first world championship medal.
'I just think that I gave everything I had, and I'm just really proud of myself with that performance.'
The Pretoria swimmer has reached all her previous major finals alongside South Africa's four-time Olympic medallist and former world-record holder Tatjana Smith and added: 'Even though the world record-holder was there [tonight], even though the Olympic champion was there, I've been fortunate enough to swim next to Tatjana, so I know that those titles don't always mean everything all the time.
'I've been fortunate enough to swim under pressure next to her my whole career basically so it's really special to be able to win this medal. I just wish she was on the podium with me.' Kaylene Corbett wins a share of the bronze medal. Image: Wade Brennan
Meanwhile, Erin Gallagher added more joy for the South Africans, finishing second in her 50m butterfly semi-final to book a spot in Saturday's final.
The 26-year-old powered to a time of 23.39 seconds, bettering her own national record and finishing just one hundredth of a second off Egyptian Farida Osman's continental mark. That sees Gallagher through to the final as the third fastest qualifier.
'I'm so happy with that swim. I honestly think I owe it to Pieter and Kaylene, my team-mates, for winning medals tonight,' said Gallagher afterwards.
'I was in the call-room screaming, and they just got me excited for my race and I thought I can't drop the ball – my team-mates have done so incredibly well, I need to get into that final tonight and I think that spurred me on in the race.'
Earlier in the day, Catherine van Rensburg finished 25th overall in the 800m freestyle in a time of 8 minutes 50.60 seconds.
It'll be a busy day for the South African team in Singapore on Saturday with Coetzé returning to the pool for the 50m backstroke and Corbett for the 50m breaststroke, while Caitlin de Lange will be taking on the 50m freestyle. The mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team will also be in action before Gallagher's 50m butterfly final in the evening session.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
8 hours ago
- The Citizen
Coetzé is only the second SA swimmer to win three gold medals at World Champs
Coetzé is only the second SA swimmer to win three gold medals at World Champs Pretoria's newest swimming sensation, Pieter Coetzé, will probably have to explain at airports why his luggage is heavier when he returns to South Africa from the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. The reason? He has a lot more baggage in the form of precious metals to bring home. This comes after Coetzé added three medals to his collection following his stellar performance in Singapore. These achievements follow just a few days after he also won three medals – two gold and one silver – at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany the previous week. 🚨 NEW AFRICAN RECORD ALERT! 🚨 Pieter Coetzé powers to 2nd place in the men's 200m backstroke final with a blistering 1:53.36 a brand new African Record! ⚡ SILVER MEDAL SECURED! 🥈#TeamSA #ForMyCountry — Team South Africa (@OfficialTeamRSA) August 1, 2025 Coetzé will be able to testify that good things happen in threes after winning a silver medal in the 50m backstroke at the World Championships in Singapore on Sunday. With this achievement, the Tuks psychology student is only the second South African swimmer to win three medals at a World Championships. He is the 100m backstroke champion and was second in the 200m backstroke. He is the only man to reach the podium for all three backstroke events at these championships. Roland Schoeman won the 50m freestyle and breaststroke events at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal and was second in the 100m freestyle. But that's not where Coetzé's story ends with three. In the space of seven days, he improved during the World Championships the African record in the 50m backstroke (24.17s), 100m backstroke (51.85s) and the 200m backstroke (1:53.36). He is currently the only swimmer in Africa to hold all three records in the same event at the same time. Actually, the only backstroke record that he has not yet bettered is the 200-metre short course event. On Sunday Coetzé lined up for the 50m final as the third fastest qualifier behind two Russians – world record-holder Kliment Kolesnikov and Pavel Samusenko. On Saturday, during the semifinal, he set an African record. He went even quicker in the final, powering across the pool in another continental record time of 24.17 seconds to share the silver with Samusenko, who touched in precisely the same time, with Kolesnikov taking the gold in a championship record of 23.68 seconds. Kolesnikov sets a new Championship Record with Coetze taking 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑 in a dead heat 🥈🔥 📺 Stream #AQUASingapore25 on DStv: — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) August 3, 2025 'I don't think I've ever tied in a final at this level, so it's pretty cool. I'm thrilled. I don't really train for the 50, I train for the 200, so to be able to go down so far and win a medal in the 50 is amazing,' said a thrilled Coetzé afterwards during a poolside interview. On being only the second South African swimmer to win three medals at a World Championships, Coetzé was equally delighted. 'It's amazing. It's something I always dreamed of. I can see myself making strides towards becoming the swimmer I always knew I could be,' he remarked. Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to [email protected] or phone us on 083 625 4114. For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord's websites: Rekord East For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
The Citizen
12 hours ago
- The Citizen
OPINION: Pieter Coetze breaks through as SA's newest global swimming star
Last week, Coetze became the first South African in 20 years to earn three medals at a single edition of the World Aquatics Championships. After emerging as a real prospect a few years ago, Pieter Coetze experienced a couple of relatively stagnant seasons and it seemed unclear whether he would go on to achieve his apparently immense potential. However, following his performances at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore last week, the 21-year-old swimmer has proved he remains on track to become one of SA's all-time greats in the pool. In 2022, at the age of 18, Coetze claimed three medals at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and bagged five medals at the World Junior Championships in Lima, which earned the teenager the Sportsman of the Year accolade at the SA Sports Awards. And while he went on to secure bronze in the 200m backstroke at the World Championships in Doha last year, he missed out on a spot on the podium at the Olympic Games in Paris, achieving a best result of fifth place in the 100m backstroke final. But any concerns about his ability to beat the world's best were put to bed last week when Coetze delivered in spectacular fashion at the global championships. Pieter Coetze (centre) after winning gold in the 100m backstroke at the World Championships in Singapore. Picture: François-Xavier Marit/AFP Historic medal haul He earned gold in the 100m backstroke, as well as silver in the 50m and 200m backstroke events, becoming the first South African to earn three medals at an edition of the World Championships since Roland Schoeman achieved the feat in Montreal in 2005. In addition, Coetze broke new ground by shattering the African records over all three backstroke distances. In the 100m final he was particularly impressive. Aside from securing the world title, he touched the wall in 51.85, clocking the third fastest time in history over two lengths. He was just 0.25 outside the world record of 51.60 held by Thomas Ceccon of Hungary, who settled for second place in the final in Singapore in 51.90. With Tatjana Smith having retired and Chad le Clos having struggled to find his best form in the latter stages of his career, South Africa will need other swimmers to deliver in the hunt for medals at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. And Coetze looks set to lead the charge.
eNCA
12 hours ago
- eNCA
Lions hooker Sheehan banned over Lynagh incident
British and Irish Lions hooker Dan Sheehan has been suspended for four matches for flattening Wallabies playmaker Tom Lynagh in Saturday's third and final Test, World Rugby announced on Monday. The 26-year-old Irishman -- who captained the side for part of the 22-12 defeat after Maro Itoje suffered a head injury -- had argued his action did not merit a citing nor was it foul play. However, an independent panel disagreed, imposing the ban, although he will miss only three games if he successfully completes a coaching intervention. "The sanction has been accepted by the player," read the judgement. "In determining foul play, the Committee found that Sheehan's actions were reckless. "The Committee found that he made head contact with the Australian player, that his action amounted to a high degree of danger and that no mitigation applied." Sheehan charged into the breakdown during the first half of the clash in Sydney, appearing to elbow Lynagh in the head. It was missed by the referee and television match official (TMO), despite Lynagh leaving the field for a head injury assessment which he failed. Sheehan will miss his province Leinster's pre-season match against Cardiff and two United Rugby Championship games with South African sides the Sharks and Stormers.
