Tatjana Schoenmaker exits the starting blocks at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Tatjana Schoenmaker continued to carry the South African flag by leading a lone charge in the swimming pool on Thursday, as she coasted into the final of her best event to stay in the hunt for her second medal at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka.
Having already pocketed the silver medal in the women’s 100m breaststroke final earlier in the week, Schoenmaker displayed good form again to set the fastest time in the semifinals of the 200m event in her specialist stroke.
The 26-year-old South African stopped the clock at 2:21.31, and though she was well outside her African record of 2:18.95, Schoenmaker was 0.40 ahead of Dutch opponent Tes Schouten, who was second quickest in 2:21.71.
Schoenmaker, the Olympic champion and former world record holder over four lengths, secured her place among the favourites in the medal contest to be held at 1.49pm today (SA time).
Earlier on Thursday, on the fifth day of competition in the pool at the global championships, 19-year-old Aimee Canny was eliminated in the semi-finals of the women’s 100m freestyle.
Canny was 14th overall in the morning heats, touching the wall in 54.60 seconds, and she went on to settle for 16th position (54.87) in the penultimate round. She missed out on a place in the final.
Meanwhile, veteran sprinter Roland Schoeman was the only South African in the start lists for the early session on day six, to be held in the early hours of Friday morning.
Schoeman, a former 50m freestyle world champion, was set to line up in one of 13 heats in the opening round of the highly competitive sprint event.
