Retiring Olympic star helps teammates to win medley relay title at SA championship

A local Olympic swimming star bid farewell to the sport on a high at the SA Short Course Championships in Durban this past weekend.

Emma Chelius swam the final event of her career, winning the 4x50m medley relay with TUKS teammates Kerryn Herbst, Georgia Els and Caitlin de Lange in a new South African record time of 1:50.95min.

The 28-year-old swimming coach at Southdowns College in Centurion, enjoyed a successful international career, competing at the World Championships, Commonwealth Games and African Championships.

The highlight, however, came in 2021 when she represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics and reached the semifinals of the 50m freestyle, breaking the national record twice, both in the heats and semifinal in the Japanese capital.

“I have gone through the whole spectrum of emotions in the last few days leading up to this so I think I have processed all the bittersweet heartache of leaving the sport so today I just felt excited. The race went by in a blur and having my family here to support me was just the cherry on top. It made me feel excited for the next chapter knowing it will still involve swimming,” Chelius explained after her final race.

According  to Chelius her goal was always to be a good teammate and she thinks she can still do that even if she is not swimming.

“It just feels like the perfect time to end. My husband (Troyden Prinsloo) is also coaching so I will still be involved in swimming and I know that the teammates and friends that I have made will be lifelong friends so overall I am very happy,” Chelius concluded.

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