By Retta Race on SwimSwam
The 2024 World Championships in Doha, Qatar are nearly upon us and we now know the list of swimmers set to represent South Africa beginning on February 11th.
A 16-strong lineup consisting of 11 females and 5 males has been named, including a handful of those who opted out of racing at last year’s World Championships in Fukuoka.
Notably, Matt Sates and Pieter Coetze are among the Doha-bound racers. Both were originally named to the 2023 roster but wound up dropping the event citing its incompatibility with overall Paris 2024 preparations.
20-year-old Sates has the capability of making his presence known across multiple events, including mid-distance free and both IMs. Sates raced across last year’s World Aquatics Swimming World Cup circuit, ultimately finishing 3rd on the men’s side.
For Coetze, the 19-year-old is the top South African backstroker and posted a new national record of 52.78 at last April’s South African National Championships. His 200m back effort of 1:56.32 notched at the Athens stop of the World Cup ranks him 5th in the world at the moment.
Dune Coetzee of the Georgia Bulldogs as well as national record holder Erin Gallagher also represent athletes who were not in Fukuoka but are now on the roster for Doha.
Olympic champions Chad le Clos and Tatjana Schoenmaker appear on the roster, with the latter having recently posted her fastest 200m breaststroke time of 2:20.30 since winning Olympic gold at the 2020 Olympic Games.
Schoenmaker brought home the only pieces of hardware for South Africa last year in Fukuoka, topping the women’s 200m breast podium while also earning 100m breast silver.
SwimSwam: Schoenmaker, Sates & Coetze Appear On South Africa’s 2024 Worlds Roster
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