Swimmers getting ready for season
Easily gliding through the pristine water, it was quite evident that these Lowveld swimmers are in top form at the moment.
Alexander Popov famously said that “the water is your friend…You do not have to fight with water. Just share the same spirit as the water, and it will help you move.”
At the Age Group 1 gala this past weekend, hosted at the Van Riebeeck pool in Mbombela, it seemed as though the majority of swimmers were part human, part water sprite.
ALSO READ: Lowveld equestrians end Sanesa 2019 on high note
The gala was used as a trial to qualify for the Maputo team, and also to qualify for teams for 2020.
This meant that different age groups and genders swam against one another, as the top times were taken and not the position in which they finished.
In the 100 metre women breast stroke, it was the 10-year-old Miela Banza who stood out, swimming in a better time than athletes much older than her.
In the 100 men breast stroke, the 17-year-old Jakobus Terblanche was like a fish in the water and produced an excellent time of 1:10.44. He also gave a very fast 50 metre backstroke sprint.
An up-and-coming young swimmer to watch in the future is Emma Beyers (14). She produced several good times in her various strokes, with the best probably being her 800 metre women freestyle.
Jetro Piso produced his usual flawless performance and swam very good times, including a fast 2:24.31 in the 200 metre men individual medley.
Youngster Eben Obermeyer – at only 10 years old – held his own against much older swimmers and was particularly fast in the 100 metre men freestyle, finishing a split second behind the older swimmers.
