Schoeman, Neethling make their mark
Roland Schoeman, of Northern Tigers, who is based at the University of Arizona, smashed the South African 100m butterfly record with ease on Monday night.
He clocked an Africa record 52.73sec competing in the semifinals at the South African championships at King's Park pool in Durban.
The championships double as the Olympic trials.
His Arizona team-mate, former Free State champion Ryk Neethling now swimming in the colours of KwaZulu-Natal, smashed the 200m freestyle record, recording a world-class 1.47.37 and dragging Pietermaritzburg's rising teenager Darian Townsend to an Olympic qualifier in the semifinals. Local lad Townsend recorded an outstanding 1.49.57, which should see that he goes to Athens in August.
"I was very happy with that," said Neethling after winning the final from Swiss Dominique Meichtry (1.49.21) and Townsend (1.50.07).
"I was hoping for a 1.46, but it was a good enough time considering that I had to work by myself up front all the way. I swim a lot stronger when I'm pushed by my opposition."
There was plenty of satisfaction for several of the home province's coaches as Wayne Riddin, Graham Hill, Alisdair Hatfield, Frank Gray and Margaret Martin all saw some of their charges making it to the medal podium over the opening three days.
Riddin saw 14-year-old Tanya Strydom snatch bronze in the 50m freestyle, an effort which will probably see her as the youngest medallist of the week - the championships continue until Wednesday evening - and has been Townsend's coach for many years.
Hill was able to share some of Riddin's glory, having monitored the progress of the former Maritzburg College star since the start of the year.
Hill, the Mr Price Seagulls coach, also had the satisfaction of taking a 1-2 in the 200m backstroke for women, with Melissa Corfe recording a 2.14.00, just a fraction of a second off the Olympic qualifying time, while Romina Armellini - swimming in the colours of Cental Gauteng - took the silver medal in the same event. Terence Parkin grabbed silver in the 100m breaststroke.
Martin's young 100m breaststroker, Ronwyn Roper, pulled out all the stops to grab the bronze, a feat matched by Hatfield's Jeff Norton in the 200m backstroke and Neil Versveld in the 100m breaststroke.
Gray saw young distance specialist Troyden Prinsloo taking silver in the 400m freestyle.