Amanzimtoti swimmer glides up the rankings

Junior swimmer, Monica ‘Mica’ Botha, 13, has climbed in the latest national and provincial rankings. In the 400m freestyle she ranks second nationally and first in KZN. In the 100m, she is fifth nationally and second in the province. In the 200m, third nationally and second in KZN, and third in the province in the 50m backstroke and 50m butterfly,.

As a home-schooled learner, she is not allowed to participate in inter-school sports, which leaves her with only provincial and national rankings at club level as a measure to where she stands in local swimming.

In South Africa the swimming season runs from 1 May to the end of April every year after the national championships, including levels one to three, SA junior and senior nationals.

This year with the pandemic, SA National Junior champs, scheduled for 11 to 15 April, did not take place, which would have been Mica’s first gala as a 13-year-old. Swimming SA postponed the event to 27 to 30 June, but it has now been cancelled, as pools remain closed and no training can be done.

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On Saturday, 30 May the minister announced non-contact sport may resume subject to an application within 14 days. Swimming South Africa (SSA) is busy with the application and waiting for the directives to make the sport safe for all athletes.

SSA publishes national rankings every year before 1 May when the new season starts (13 April). The national competition in March or April every year allows for at least one competition, where Mica gets times in the new age group, seeing that she celebrates her birthday in early March. As a result, the times she swam as a 12-year-old were used for the rankings in the 13-year-old age group due to the dates involved.

KZN Aquatics (KZNA) also publishes top 30 individual provincial rankings in April every year to indicate where swimmers rank on a provincial versus national basis. She improved in the 400m freestyle, but remained the same for the 100m and 200m, with the 50m dropping a bit.

“We focussed a bit more on my personal bests and time improvements than rankings, but I am very pleased with my overall improvement. I’m very happy with new rankings, as my goal is to try and stay in the top four on a provincial and national level. I achieved that in the 200m and 400m freestyle on national level and on a provincial level in 11 events. National rankings are more challenging, as there are some amazing swimmers from the other provinces.”

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The one specific stroke she is specifically chuffed about improving in is freestyle. “In April every year we set new goals for the upcoming season. I then train and work towards swimming the goal times. We divide the goal times into long course (50m) and short course (25m) times.

Galas depend on pool availability, so last year when Kings Park closed for pool repairs, we swam mostly 25m galas until it re-opened and we could use the 50m pool again.”

There were 14 short course events and she swam personal bests in 13 of them. In long course she achieved eight personal bests in 13 events. She exceeded her set goals so much that her coaches, her father Jan and mother Marinda, had to set new goals by October last year.

Her biggest achievement was the 100m short course freestyle in October, where her goal time was 1:00:99, but she swam a 1:00:95. She also had a goal of sub 29 seconds in the 50m freestyle and swam a 28:58. “It would have been awesome to swim under a minute in the 100m, but there is always this year.”

Long course goals included a sub 29 for the 50m and she swam a 28:95 in December in a relay. Unfortunately, that time will not show in the database, as she swam anchor (last). “I now know it is possible, which means I can repeat it and even go faster in future races.”

During lockdown she has been training in her home pool using a swimming cord up until 24 April. “Our annual break from swimming takes place in May every year, so I took a three-week break. Training resumed on 11 May, but the water was too cold at 18 degrees, so I continued with land-based training.”

This consists of stationary bike cycling or jump rope, core exercises (sit-ups), lunges, push-ups, planking, mountain climbing – anything that builds strength using her own body weight.

Mica reckons the break will do her good, as she always swims better times after. “We have two breaks every year – after KZN Premier Champs in December and in April or May after national events. It is very important for swimmers to rest and recover. At this stage I don’t have any idea when competitive swimming will get the go-ahead, but I really would like to start swimming again. I like training and it forms a very important part of my daily routine. During lockdown I have missed it the most, as I prefer it to racing.”

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