KZN’s Connor Botha celebrated his 17th birthday with a medal at the Lifesaving World Championships in Adelaide, Australia.
Botha, who has been South Africa’s most prominent performer in 2017 and 2018 in the youth divisions, won bronze in the board race.
Botha was also competitive in the ocean man and boys surf swim, but didn’t manage to medal.
The youngster is the son of iconic South Africa lifesaving veteran Dylan Botha.
The best South African performances came from Matthew Fenn and Ally Chislett, who both won silver medals.
Fenn placed second in the Surf Ski and Chislett second in the girls’ surf swim.
Daniel Jacobs was also in the medals by finishing third in the surf ski.
The positive in the Open Pool competition is that South Africa
earned more points than at the previous World Championship in 2018.
Team SA Open Pool Selected results
100m Manikin Carry with fins – Johan Lourens 12th; Carmel
Billson 14th
50m Manikin Rescue – Martin Binedell 13th
4 x 25m Manikin Relay – Male: Binedell, Saunders, Notten N,
Lourens 15th; Female 10th
4 x 50m Medley relay – Male: Binedell, Saunders, Notten
N, Lourens 11th; Von Bargen. Female: Billson, Bellingan, Corris-Nordegen 10th
Selected Team SA Youth Surf results
Surf Ski
–
boys
Matthew Fenn 2nd
Daniel Jacobs 3rd
Surf Ski
–
girls
Tammy McKei 5th, Kira Bester 11th
Board race – boys
Connor Botha 3rd, Matthew Fenn 9th
Board race – girls
Kira Bester 4th, Paige Horn 5th
Oceanman
Connor Botha 6th, Matthew Fenn 7th
Oceanwoman
Alice Edward 11th, Tammy McKei 12th
Surf Swim
–
boys
Connor Botha 6th, Calvin Coetzee 10th
Surf Swim
Ally Chislett 2nd, Sulinke van den Berg 12th
Oceanman Relay
Boys – 5th, Girls – 3rd
*General Tire is the sponsor of Lifesaving South Africa.
@mark_keohane