The Bombela Concession Company SA National (25m) Championships exploded into action on Thursday, with Olympic champion Chad le Clos and rising star Jessica Thompson each collecting a magnificent double gold on the opening day.
Both swimmers dominated the 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly events, setting an electrifying tone for the competition in Pietermaritzburg.
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Le Clos Marks Return with Authority
After an extended break, a relaxed and revitalized Chad le Clos showed his enduring class, winning both his events with comfortable margins. The veteran powered through the 100m freestyle in 47.55 seconds, finishing a full body-length ahead of the field.
He followed this up with an impressive victory in the 50m butterfly, clocking 22.79 seconds. The field included an array of promising young talent, with 18-year-old Tai Pearson securing second in 23.64 and 15-year-old Eric Kotze taking third in 23.79.
Le Clos was clearly happy to be back in the water after a period of limited activity. “It was good, I’m happy,” he said. “I’ve only been seriously training under a proper programme for the last six weeks. This year I was kind of floating so it’s nice to swim decent and it’s nice to see the youngsters swim really well.”
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Thompson’s Record Bid Just Falls Short
Eighteen-year-old Jessica Thompson had an equally brilliant day, showcasing her versatility and blistering speed. She first claimed a comfortable win in the 100m freestyle in 54.29 seconds, followed by her second gold in the 50m butterfly with a personal best of 25.66 seconds.
Despite the double victory and two PBs, Thompson admitted she had been targeting a seven-year-old national record in the butterfly, held by Tayla Lovemore at 25.54.
“I didn’t want to say anything, but that is kind of what I was going for,” Thompson confessed. “The record has been standing since 2018. But to walk away with two PBs, I’m really happy with that. I didn’t expect that, especially considering the block of training I’ve had. So I’m really happy with how I performed tonight.”
Van Niekerk and Smith Also Claim Titles
The night also saw strong performances from other top South African swimmers. Double Commonwealth Games champion Lara van Niekerk battled through a recent knee niggle to claim the 100m breaststroke title in 1:05.98. She later took second in the 100m individual medley, an event she swims “just for fun.”
“My knee started acting up a week ago, to the point where I couldn’t kick breaststroke in training, so I’m just really grateful to be here,” Van Niekerk said. She noted the injury helped take some pressure off her expectations for the meet.
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On the men’s side, World Aquatics Championships finalist Chris Smith secured the 100m breaststroke in 58.24 seconds, a time he was pleased with despite not having tapered for the event.
The championships also crowned new national champions in the 200m backstroke, with Grace Morris claiming the women’s title in a personal best of 2:09.56, and Adrian van Wyk winning the men’s in 1:56.42. Caitlin de Lange also raced to a personal best of 1:00.69 to win the 100m individual medley.
Action continues in Pietermaritzburg through Sunday as swimmers chase more national titles and qualifying times.
