Kat Swanepoel’s remarkable form continued when she posted two more South African and African records at the World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira, Portugal on Monday.
Alani Ferreira then also chalked up her third SA and African record when finishing fifth in the final of the women’s SB13 100m breaststroke, which took the total of SA and African records broken at these championships by Swanepoel, Ferreira and Christian Sadie to eight in as many swims.
Swanepoel, the 34-year-old Team SA Paralympian, had twice lowered the mark in the women’s SB3 50m breaststroke category on Sunday and on Monday she followed up with another two SA and African records in the S4 100m freestyle, having bettered the records in both the heats and final.
Also continuing a dream championships was Ferreira, who made it three SA and African records from her three swims so far. Competing in the final of the women’s SB13 100m final, Ferreira took 1.5 seconds off her entry time with a 1min 22.18sec swim. That placed her fifth behind gold medallist Colleen Young of the USA, but for Ferreira it was another career best and continental landmark. On Sunday, Ferreira had surged to two national and African records in the S13 100m butterfly.
Earlier on Monday, going off in lane one in the heats, Swanepoel reached halfway in sixth position in 48.38sec and held her spot, coming home in 51.10 to touch the wall in 1:43.50, for her third national and African record in three swims.
Swanepoel qualified sixth fastest for the evening final, and there she went even faster.
In that final, Swanepoel turned in a blistering 46.50 and understandably felt the effort coming home, showing up a 53.87 split but combined she stopped the clock at 1:40.37, slashing more than 3sec off her morning records.
Again, the Team SA swimmer placed sixth, but would have been overjoyed with the result.
SOUTH AFRICAN/AFRICAN RECORDS BROKEN
Women’s SB3 50m breaststroke (x2): Kat Swanepoel (1:00.98 and 1:00.10)
Women’s S4 100m freestyle (x2): Kat Swanepoel (1:43.50 and 1:40.37)
Women’s S13 100m butterfly (x2): Alani Ferreira (1:18.56 and 1:18.17)
Women’s S13 100m breaststroke: Alani Ferreira (1:22.18)
Men’s SM7 200m Individual Medley: Christian Sadie (2:34.08)