Large SA team gears up for Aquatics World Championships in Budapest

A team of 66 swimmers, divers, water polo players and artistic swimmers and their coaches are headed for Budapest to represent South Africa at the FINA World Aquatics Championships from 18 June to 3 July.

Heading the medal charge will be a strong team of swimmers, many of them competing at their first World Championships. Among them is Matt Sates, who last year made a name for himself by claiming the overall FINA World Cup title in the short course pool (25m) and recently took the Mare Nostrum series by storm, securing nine gold medals from his nine events contested in the long course pool (50m).

"I have really enjoyed my time in Europe preparing for worlds. Being able to race long course again and have some of the best competition in the world was really exciting," said the 18-year-old from Pietermaritzburg.

"Since then I've been training in Turkey with a fast bunch of guys and that has been really good. We all push each other and have a great time doing it."

Sates will swim in the 200 and 400m individual medley, the 100m butterfly and the 200m freestyle, but a recent cold has meant he will not add the 400m freestyle to his already hectic schedule.

Also training in Turkey was 19-year-old Lara van Niekerk who will be flying the flag for South African breaststrokers in the absence of Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker, who has chosen to focus on the Commonwealth Games.

After beating Schoenmaker in the 100m breaststroke at the National Championships in April, Van Niekerk also put in some impressive performances at the recent Mare Nostrum series, setting a meet record in the 50m breaststroke along the way.

"I am really excited about competing in my first world champs. My performances at the Mare Nostrum series gave me a boost