Latest news with #Tuks
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Coetzé wins South Africa's first gold medal at the World University Games
21-year-old Pieter Coetzé claimed South Africa's first gold medal at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr this past weekend with his victory in the 100m backstroke. His winning time of 51.99 seconds is a new African and World Student Record. For now, it is also the fastest time in the world. It is incredible how Coetzé swam a speedier time every time he dived in. In the heats, his time was 53.34 seconds, and in the semi-finals, it was 52.18 seconds. There is a good chance that the Tuks swimmer will win more medals later in the later in the Games. The swimming program runs until Wednesday. His time of 24.50 seconds in the semi-final of the 50m backstroke was the fastest on Sunday, while he also qualified for the final in the 100m freestyle with another fastest semi-final time of 48.30 seconds, which is also a new personal best for him in this event. Coetzé is a specialist backstroke swimmer, but he makes no secret of the fact that he enjoys swimming the freestyle when the opportunity arises. He will, unfortunately, not compete in the 200m backstroke as he will also be competing in the World Championships in Singapore, which start this coming weekend. The time difference between Germany and Singapore is six hours. According to TuksSwimming head coach, Rocco Meiring, Coetzé must have sufficient time to acclimatise. Therefore, he will miss out on competing in the 200 m backstroke, which is one of the last items on the swimming program at the Student Games. Coetzé is often referred to as a true competitor. Someone who likes to test himself against the best. 'A lot of times when I train, it feels like I'm just an average swimmer. When I race, something happens. I'm different when competing than when training. I like competition and the pressure that comes with it,' he recently explained his onslaught during competitions. In an interview earlier this year Coetzé was asked about his preferences as a backstroke swimmer and what distance in the pool is his favourite. 'You could say the 200m backstroke is my best event, but I will always compete in the 100 and 50 meters. Remember, I come from a sprint background,' was his reply. – Another local swimmer from Pretoria, Lara van Niekerk, won the silver medal in the 50m breaststroke on Sunday. 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 At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
SA swim star Pieter Coetze toast of World University Games after 100m backstroke gold
Pieter Coetze of SA took gold in the 100m backstroke final in a record 51.99 at the FISU World University Games in Germany on Saturday. outh African swim star Pieter Coetze continued to make a splash at the FISU World University Games in Germany at the weekend, breaking through the magical 52-second barrier in the 100m backstroke final on Friday night. After clocking 47.88 while leading off South Africa's 400m freestyle relay on Thursday, the Tuks swimmer recorded his best time as he smashed the African record in Friday's 100m backstroke semi-finals with a time of 52.18. Coetze held the previous African record courtesy of his 52.58 from the Paris Olympics final. His time in the University Games semi-final was also four-tenths of a second under the previous record of 52.60 that Ryosuke Irie set back in 2009.
IOL News
4 days ago
- Sport
- IOL News
Marlie Viljoen defends World University Games 400m title with new lease of life
Marlie Viljoen is back from injury and focused on defending her 400m title at the World University Games in Germany. Image: Reg Caldecott Marlie Viljoen felt like her world had come crashing down during a recent injury-enforced spell on the sidelines. As she gears up to defend her 400m title at the FISU World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, on Monday, she realises it may have been a blessing in disguise. In March, the Tuks student was in high spirits after setting a personal best of 51.42 seconds in the 400m. She was convinced she was capable of even faster times. It didn't happen; within days, every step she took on the track was accompanied by pain. It became unbearable after a race in Botswana, so she went to the doctor. A scan revealed she had suffered a stress fracture. For three weeks, she had to get by on crutches. Crippling blow 'It was as if my world had come crashing down. I was in the best shape of my life, but now I couldn't participate in the South African Championships or the national student meet,' the South African one-lap star said. 'The worst thing was that I had to withdraw from the World Relays after being a member of the 4x400m team that had broken the South African record. 'I almost gave in to total self-pity. Sitting in the stands watching the women's 400m finals at the national championships was agonising. I should have been on the track racing. 'Luckily I realised that feeling sorry for myself wouldn't get me anywhere. I began doing my rehabilitation exercises with dedication. I worked out at the gym, using weights, rowing, the treadmill, cycling, and swimming. "The one thing I missed was not being able to run. It made me realise that I was truly an athlete. Running is my passion, and if my body allows me, I will continue to run for some time to come.' Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Back on track Last weekend in Italy, Viljoen ran the 400m for the first time in three months. She finished fifth, in a time of 53.03. 'The injury could be a blessing in disguise. If I hadn't been injured, I would not have put so much pressure on myself to defend the world student title and run even faster times. "I am more open-minded now. My only goal is to be the best I can in every race. 'Everyone knows that in the final, anything can happen. Hopefully, I can make South Africans proud again. In the end, all that really matters is knowing that I gave it my all.'
TimesLIVE
4 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Pieter Coetzé blitzes backstroke in Germany to move to No.1 in the world
Pieter Coetzé stunned world swimming as he won the 100m backstroke crown at the World Student Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, on Saturday night in a lightning 51.99s. That time, which makes the 21-year-old South African the eighth fastest of all time, would have won the Olympic title in Paris last year. Coetzé, who ended fifth in France in a 52.58 African record, won the Universiade race by more than half a second, with American William Modglin touching in 52.54. The Pretoria-based South African, who hails from Rustenburg, broke his own continental mark in Friday's semifinals when he went 52.18. His performance suddenly places him as the top seed ahead of the world championships in Singapore, which kick off next Sunday. With the retirement of his Tuks teammate, breaststroke superstar Tatjana Smith, last year, Coetzé's display suggests he will stretch South Africa's unbroken run of world championship silverware to 24 years in Singapore. Coetzé is scheduled to compete in the 50m backstroke heats in Germany on Sunday morning.
The Citizen
15-07-2025
- The Citizen
Metro urged to ditch outdated security solutions as cable theft cripples Fountains area
East residents and civic organisations are raising concerns over the metro's plans to allocate over R230-million in security guard contracts to protect assets. According to AfriForum, this is an outdated method that will drain public funds without effectively protecting assets. Ward 56 councillor Shaun Wilkinson, whose ward has been battling persistent power outages caused by cable theft, said the time has come for the metro to embrace smarter, more cost-effective solutions. He added that his residents are constantly affected by infrastructure vandalism and theft, yet the metro remains committed to deploying guards. 'Metro guards are often under-equipped and unable to stop organised criminal syndicates,' Wilkinson said. 'We need to move beyond symbolic security measures and embrace systems that provide real-time monitoring and faster responses.' Wilkinson said vandalism near the Unisa and Tuks perimeters has a ripple effect, disrupting water and electricity supply, research activities and even the academic reputation of institutions in Pretoria. He added that current guards, especially those deployed at tourist attractions and power stations, are ill-prepared for the scale of organised theft. 'Even if patrollers are stationed, they are not backed by high-visibility surveillance or rapid response teams. That makes them a deterrent in name only.' Groenkloof residents are currently contributing money out of their own pockets to buy and install cameras in the area. This comes after the area has faced back-to-back power outages due to cable theft. Resident Francois Geringer said it would be great if they could get the metro's help. 'The stolen cables cost more than installing cameras to safeguard the cables.' AfriForum has launched its own initiatives to protect vulnerable sites and argues that the metro's reliance on traditional guarding contracts is fiscally irresponsible and ineffective in curbing theft. The organisation's Greater Pretoria North district co-ordinator, Llewellynn Hemmens, said modern technology could achieve far more at a fraction of the cost. Hemmens said their organisation obtained quotations to secure three substations for under R100 000 using camera systems and smart monitoring tools. 'We are already installing cameras at the first substation as part of a community project, but despite letters and discussions, the metro has shown little co-operation.' According to Hemmens, AfriForum has offered assistance free of charge or at minimal cost, but their proposals were met with silence while the city pursued 'inflated' guarding contracts. 'This is a clear sign of poor management and a lack of political will,' he said. 'Taxpayers are footing the bill, but the infrastructure remains exposed.' AfriForum has urged the city to halt new guarding contracts, audit current infrastructure vulnerabilities, and collaborate with civil society on scalable, cost-efficient security solutions. 'The tools exist to turn this around, but the metro needs to act decisively and responsibly,' Hemmens said. The metro was approached for comment, but had not responded in time for printing. ALSO READ: Planned march today in Mamelodi 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 or TikTok. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
