Port Elizabeth – South Africa’s leading lady of the pool Karin Prinsloo’s performance in the 200m freestyle at the third leg of the Swimming SA Grand Prix here on Saturday suggested she was taking small steps to rediscovering lost form.
Prinsloo’s promising career has been in a lull since her world-class performances at the beginning of 2014 before niggling injuries and illness weighed her down.
Although her time of 2min 01.87sec was far from her best and that of the Olympic qualifying standard, she is showing promising improvement.
She shaved almost a second-and-a-half off the time she posted at the Durban leg a fortnight ago, edging her closer to the qualifying mark of 1:58.96.
Nathania van Niekerk finished second in 2:06.28 with 15-year-old Kate Beavon clocking 2:06.38 for third place.
Eighteen-year-old Tatjana Schoenmaker was also inching closer to the qualifying mark of 1:07.85 in the women’s 100m breaststroke which she won in 1:09.93.
She finished ahead of Kaylene Corbett in 1:10.02 and Hanim Abrahams with 1:12.62.
With swimmers still in hard training, Port Elizabeth did not produce any major fireworks, with Olympic gold medallist Chad le Clos winning the men’s 100m freestyle and 50m butterfly.
Le Clos’ winning time of 50.04 seconds was slower than his time in the heats the day before where he dipped below 50 seconds.
He was followed by Clayton Jimmie in 50.36sec, while Douglas Erasmus bagged the bronze in 50.67sec.
The 16-year-old Mariella Venter also won two gold medals yesterday, winning the women’s 200m and 50m backstroke.
Venter touched the wall nearly seven seconds ahead of her closest rival in the 200m backstroke with her time of 2:14.82.
Jessica Beukes, 14, finished in second place with 2:21.04, while Abi Meder took third in 2:23.36.
In the sprint event she posted a winning time of 29.47sec ahead of second-placed Samantha Labuschagne, who clocked 30.84sec, with Chloe Velde touching in third place in 31.33sec.
Jessica Ashley-Cooper also claimed a golden brace in the women’s 100m butterfly and 50m freestyle.
She won the butterfly event in 1:02.07 ahead of Tarryn Els (1:04.17) in second place
and Nathania van Niekerk in third with 1:04.35.
Ashley-Cooper hit the wall first in the splash and dash in 26.51sec, comfortably beating Emma Chelius (27.17sec) and Jade Nesser (27.20sec).
– THE SUNDAY INDEPENDENT