Brilliant Botha does the double at SA Lifesaving champs

Tatum Botha was simply brilliant as she powered her way to a rare Iron double on the same day in the DHL Lifesaving South Africa Surf National Club Championships at Kings Beach in Gqeberha.

Botha, so talented and dominant in the junior age groups for the past few years, won the u19 Iron title, which didn’t surprise too many.

But her victory over Amica de Jager in the final of the female senior Iron race was just stunning.

De Jager has consistently in the past two years been the best performing female senior athlete, dominant in the surf and competitive in the pool. She was the 2021 overall female lifesaving athlete of the year.

It was expected that she would triumph in the Iron race, considered the most prestigious title of all, given the demands of the discipline.

What made the 17 year-old Botha’s double victory even more remarkable was that the senior triumph played out only an hour after she had won the u19 junior title.

Botha’s Umhlanga Rocks teammate Tannah Smith won the under 17 female Iron title and Fish Hoek’s Georgia Singe took gold in the under 15 female Iron title.

There were also golds for Clifton’s Naor Lombard in the u19 Board, for Summerstrand’s Christian Davidson in the u19 male Swim/Run/Swim, Kings Beach’s Denyer Jordan in the u17 Swim/Run/Swim and Fish Hoek’s Wade Beukes in the u15 Swim/Run/Swim. Beukes would also take gold in the u15 Board.

Umhlanga’s Matthew Coetzer won the u17 Board and Fish Hoek’s Cody Abrahams took gold in the u19 male Beach Flags. Umhlanga’s Nicollette Challenor was the under 19 female Beach Flags winners, East London’s Jema Tarr took gold in the under 17 Beach Flags and Kings Beach’s Yanelisa Nomoyi was the best in the u15 Beach flags for females.

Umhlanga’s impressive Saskia Hockly won