A packed Tollcross International Swimming Centre erupted into a sea of cheers as Team South Africa completed a golden, silver and bronze sweep on Saturday night, taking the country’s Commonwealth Games swimming medal haul to five and counting.
The swimmers have carried the flag with fearless flair and, judging by the momentum building in Glasgow, there could be even more treasure waiting beneath the surface on Sunday.
Pieter Coetze once again proved he is the new king of Commonwealth backstroke.
The softly spoken giant may stand 1.97 metres tall outside the pool, but once the starter sounds he hunts like a shark scenting blood. Coetze stormed to gold in the men’s 50m backstroke in a breathtaking Commonwealth Games record of 24.18 seconds, the third time in less than 36 hours that he rewrote the record books.
He first clocked 24.45 in the heats, followed it with 24.29 in the semi-finals and then produced his masterpiece in the final. At this level, three tenths of a second is an ocean.
South Africa has watched Coetze’s rise for years. He was an Olympian at 17, a triple Commonwealth medallist at 18 and a world champion in Singapore last year. At only 22, he already looks every inch the face of South African swimming.
Ruard van Renen added another chapter to the story by claiming bronze in 24.51 seconds. His breakthrough medal completed South Africa’s first Commonwealth Games podium shared by two male swimmers since Chad le Clos and Ryan Coetzee achieved the feat at Gold Coast in 2018.
Van Renen admitted three untidy strokes denied him silver.
“I’m a very analytical swimmer and I know exactly where I lost it. I’m happy with bronze and I still believe there are two more medals waiting for me at these Games.”
Coetze refused to be swept away by the excitement despite conquering what he calls the weakest of his three backstroke events.
“This is an amazing feeling. I have had to overcome challenges in training and didn’t know how things would work out. Sharing the podium with Ruard while singing the national anthem made it even more special.”
Earlier, Erin Gallagher delivered silver in the women’s 50m butterfly for the second consecutive Commonwealth Games, touching home behind Australia’s Alex Perkins. Gallagher reflected on a journey that began in Glasgow in 2014 and now comes full circle in the same city, while Jessica Thompson finished a heartbreaking fourth, only 0.16 seconds away from the podium.
The waves are rolling South Africa’s way. If Saturday was any indication, Team SA’s swimmers are far from reaching the deep end of this remarkable Glasgow adventure.
