A demanding four-day competition in Belarus that tested South Africa’s young swimmers and revealed their ability to show up under pressure.
Belarus (26 November 2025) – What a remarkable four days in Belarus! Swimming South Africa put on a standout performance at the Belarus Swimming Cup 2025, showcasing resilience and a pure competitive spirit. Here’s how this squad represented the country with pride
One of the headline performers was Matthew Caldwell, who proved to be a model of consistency across the distance events. He claimed three bronze medals in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events, clocking impressive times of 3:46.3, 7:54.97 and 14:59.16, respectively. His ability to hold pace over multiple events highlighted his endurance and mental strength under pressure.
On the women’s side, Scarlett Le Roux showed that she is one to watch as she wrapped up the meet with two podium finishes, both achieved with personal best times. She took bronze in the 400m freestyle (4:18.33) and made a big leap in the 800m freestyle, earning silver with a career-best 8:54.3. She narrowly missed the podium in the 200m freestyle, but still walked away with yet another personal best.
Sprint specialist Jessica Thompson also made her mark, taking bronze in the 50m freestyle with a sharp 24.75. She followed that up with strong showings in two finals: 4th in both the 50m fly (26.0) and 50m backstroke (26.99). Her performances added valuable depth to the team’s overall presence at the meet.
Another swimmer who impressed was Jarden Eaton, who put together one of his best international performances to date. He achieved personal bests across all three of his butterfly events:100m fly (52.29), 200m fly (1:58.1), where he finished 4th, and 50m fly (23.82). His times show he is edging ever closer to the top tier and ready to push further in 2025.
Team SA also showed strong teamwork in the 4x50m mixed freestyle relay, narrowly missing the podium in a tightly contested final, finishing 5th after a spirited battle all the way to the wall.
The Belarus Swimming Cup 2025 was a special meet for South Africa. Beyond the medals, it was also their momentum. The personal bests, the close finishes, and the confidence shown in every race all point to a bright future for South African swimming on the international stage.
Sources: Swimming South Africa
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