Veteran superstar Chad Le Clos was impressed with the state of South African swimming after the national championships in Gqeberha.
“We are definitely in a good place,” said the 34-year-old whose victory in the 100m butterfly during the week ensured himself at least a relay spot in the team for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year.
The numbers prove Le Clos’s sentiment, with eight women and five men achieving qualification times in individual events at the gala which ended on Saturday, almost double the three women and four men who cracked the same standards last year.
The entry times for the 2025 world championships remained in effect for the Games, whose organisers have given South Africa 67 spots.
Swimming is getting 21 of those — the extra eight berths will be dedicated to bolstering relays, which are going to be a focus for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Swimming South Africa (SSA) high performance manager Dean Price says relays must be ready by next year when they attempt to qualify for the Olympics.
A brief camp was planned for Sunday to begin preparations for the Commonwealth showpiece, which runs from July 23 to August 2.
A big factor in the higher number of qualifiers is the simple fact that swimmers are sticking it out in the sport for longer, especially the women.
A decade ago there were fewer than five women older than 20 at the national championships, a major problem considering the statistics showed South African women were 21 and older when they won Olympic silverware.
That was true for Penny Heyns at Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 and Marianne Kriel in 1996, and it was still true for Tatjana Smith at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.
But that has changed considerably, with 30 competing in Gqeberha this year. Eighteen of those swim out of Tuks, while most of the others are based overseas, the bulk of them at US universities.
Seven of the eight women qualifiers are 22 and older — Jessica Thompson is the youngest at 18 — while Chris Smith is the youngest man at 20.
Kaylene Corbett, who won the 200m breaststroke bronze at the 2025 world championships, competed against US student Aimee Canny and New Zealand-based Rebecca Meder in the 100m and 200m breaststroke races this week.
The competition was intense at the top end, but there were enough entrants only for three heats in the 100m breaststroke and two in the 200m.
“I would love to see the girls really carry on after puberty,” said Corbett, who has gritted it out in the sport through periods of injuries and lack of funding.
“It’s important … to push through those couple of years where you’re not improving. I’m 26 now which is considered older than the rest of the girls and I think it’s time that we start showing girls that you can push through it.”
Erin Gallagher, 27, Canny, 22, and US-based Olivia Nel, 23, are key to successful relays.
Price is particularly excited about the mixed relays. The Commonwealth Games has the mixed 4x100m medley and freestyle races while the Olympics will have only the mixed medley.
The bedrock of the mixed relay is Pieter Coetzé, the 100m backstroke world champion who picked up silver in the 200m and 50m backstroke races at the global gala.
He’s also the 100 freestyle king in South Africa, meaning he could slot into one of two legs in the medley relays.
“The future is bright,” says Le Clos. “I think it’s getting better. I mean, Pieter’s really shown that he is the man.”
The Commonwealth Games qualifiers are:
Men: Pieter Coetzé, 21 (100m backstroke, 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle, 50m freestyle, 200m backstroke); Ruard van Renen, 22 (100m backstroke, 50m backstroke); Calvyn Justus, 30 (50m freestyle); Michael Houlie (50m breaststroke); Chris Smith, 20 (50m breaststroke)
Women: Aimee Canny, 22 (200m freestyle, 100m breaststroke, 200m IM, 200m breaststroke); Rebecca Meder, 23 (200m IM); Jessica Thompson, 18 (50m backstroke, 50m freestyle); Erin Gallagher, 27 (100m butterfly, 50m butterfly); Kaylene Corbett, 26 (200m breaststroke); Caitlin de Lange, 22 (50m freestyle, 50m butterfly); Lara van Niekerk, 22 (50m breaststroke); Hannah Pearse, 23 (200m backstroke)
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