Lara van Niekerk Lowers Her Own 50 Breast African Record to 29.45 in Prelims

By Riley Overend on SwimSwam

2022 FINA SHORT COURSE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

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• Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre, Melbourne, Australia
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19-year-old South African standout Lara van Niekerk lowered her own African record in the 50 breast during prelims on the fifth day of the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, Australia.

WOMEN’S 50 BREASTSTROKE – Prelims

• World Record: 28.56, Alia Atkinson (JAM), 2018
• World Junior Record: 28.81, Benedetta Pilato (ITA), 2020
• Championship Record: 28.81, Ruta Meilutyte (LTU), 2014
• 2021 Champion: 29.34, Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR)

Top 16:

1. Ruta Meilutyte (LTU) – 29.10
2. Qianting Tang (CHN) – 29.38
3. Lara van Niekerk (RSA) – 29.45
4. Louise Imogen Clark (GBR) – 29.51
5. Lilly King (USA) – 29.53
6. Anna Elendt (GER) – 29.59
7. Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 29.63
8. Veera Kivirinta (FIN) – 29.72
9. Florine Gaspard (BEL) – 29.79
10. Reona Aoki (JPN) – 29.81
11. Chelsea Hodges (AUS) – 29.84
12. Ida Hulkko (FIN) – 29.89
13. Klara Thormalm (SWE) – 30.06
14. Andrea Podmanikova (SVK) – 30.14
15. Fleur Vermeiren (BEL) – 30.22
16. Macarena Ceballos (ARG) – 30.33

Van Niekerk reached the wall in 29,45 to secure the third qualifying spot for tonight’s semifinals behind Ruta Meilutyte (29.10) and Qianting Tang (29.38).

Van Niekerk shaved .17 seconds off her previous continental record of 29.62 from August. She first set the African record at just 17 years old back in September of 2021, when she went 29.85 to take down Achieng Ajulu-Bushell’s long-standing record of 30.11 from 2009.

The time drop moves van Niekerk up from 22nd to 15th in the all-time performer rankings.

It should be a battle just to make the final tonight with big names such as Lilly King (29.53), Anna Elendt (29.59), and world junior record holder Benedetta Pilato (29.63) also vying to clinch their spots tomorrow evening.

SwimSwam: Lara van Niekerk Lowers Her Own 50 Breast African Record to 29.45 in Prelims