Six South African swimmers have already secured qualification as the race to the Commonwealth Games gathers momentum.
Gqeberha, South Africa (16 April 2026) – With the Commonwealth Games edging closer, South Africa’s top swimmers are already making big statements in the pool, with several athletes securing qualifying times at the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha.
Day two of the competition delivered strong performances as six swimmers booked their spots for the upcoming global showpiece.
Leading the charge was a thrilling showdown in the women’s 200m individual medley, where Aimee Canny and Rebecca Meder went head-to-head in one of the standout races of the night. Both swimmers dipped comfortably under the qualifying mark, with Canny touching first in 2:10.90, while Meder followed closely in 2:11.29.
“That was a really exciting race. I knew coming into it, it was going to be really fun tonight,” said Canny.
While she secured a qualification, Meder was measured in her reaction.
“I wanted a 2:10. But I don’t even think I’m fully tapered coming into this competition. The goal was just to get the job done, it’s been good.”
In the sprint events, Pieter Coetzé and Ruard van Renen also locked in their Commonwealth spots in the men’s 50m backstroke. Coetzé claimed the win in 24.54 seconds, matching his morning heat time, while Van Renen followed in 24.93.
“I felt better tonight, but the 50 is such a strange thing, you never know. You can feel good and swim a terrible time or you can feel very bad and swim a great time,” Coetzè said.
Van Renen was equally upbeat about his performance.
“The 50 is always fun. It’s always just a splash and dash, so didn’t expect much, so was just super happy. It’s always fun to race Pieter as well.”
Another name added to the qualifiers list was rising star Jessica Thompson, who impressed in the women’s 50m backstroke. The 18-year-old not only went under the qualifying mark in the heats but improved in the final, winning in 27.79 seconds.
Erin Gallagher also secured her place, powering to victory in the 100m butterfly in 57.36 seconds. This was just shy of her own national and African record.
Elsewhere, there were more standout performances across the pool, including wins for Chad le Clos in the 100m butterfly, Karl Albertyn in the 200m individual medley, and Stephanie Houtman and Matthew Caldwell in the distance freestyle events.
In the Para category, Kat Swanepoel continued her inspiring comeback, setting yet another national record in the S5 50m freestyle.
With more events still to come, the race for Commonwealth Games spots is well and truly on and Team South Africa is already showing serious depth.
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