TOP St Francis Bay swimmer, Amica de Jager, secured a third place at the South African National Open Water Championships at Marina Martinique in Jeffreys Bay over the weekend.
Olympian swimmer Michelle Weber from KwaZulu Natal dominated the championships by winning both the 5km and 10km events.
Weber penciled her name on the FINA World Championships qualification list by scooping the gold medal in the 5km race with a time of 1:01:58.42 ahead of Robyn Kinghorn in 1:02:00.33 and Amica de Jager in 1:02:00.83.
The men’s 5km race saw KwaZulu Natal brothers Michael and Chris McGlynn take home the gold and bronze medals in 56:33.61 and 57:04.91, respectively, while the silver was claimed by Namibia’s Phillip Seidler in 57:02.94.
Weber, Abi Meder and Robyn Kinghorn celebrated their well deserved first, second and third place in the 10km race, finishing in 2:05:37.05, 2:07:44.36 and 2:07:45.45, respectively.
In the men’s 10km event, Israel’s Matan Roditi and Idan Mordel claimed the top two spots in 1:52:40.24 and 1:52:50.39, with SA’s Chad Ho returning to the water with a bronze medal winning performance in 1:52:51.07.
In the 12 to 14 age-group 3km race, Cobus Botes, Keegan Wright and Sven van der Linde made up the medal podium in 39:11.06, 39:15.90 and 39:46.95, while Mitchel Engelke, Connor Buck and Dennis de Villiers won the 15 to 16 years’ event in 35:25.58, 35:25.88 and 35:32.19, respectively.
The gold in the 17 to 18 years’ 3km category race went to Hein van Tonder in 35:34.51, ahead of Jetro Piso in 36:29.44 and Bernard Wolfaardt in 36:43.37, while Jacey Bekker topped the 19 to 30 age-group in 38:03.91 followed by Juan van der Hoogen in 38:57.46 and Roberto Marchi in 39:52.52.
On the ladies’ side, Tammy Greenwood, Scarlett Botes and Teegan Pio were victorious in their 12 to 14 age group category, clocking 40:21.53, 40:25.10 and 40:32.09, while Leigh McMorran, Catherine van Rensburg and Hannah Murray made up the 15 to 16 medal podium in 37:13.82, 37:48.34 and 38:21.35, respectively.
Tory Earle (37:58.67), Kaitlyn Albertyn (38:17.72) and Jordyn Minifie (39:36.46) won the 17 to 18 race, with the medals in the 19 to 30 category going to Samantha Randle in 37:13.45, Jessica Canter in 40:25.09 and Danielle Luyt in 42:59.27.
