Records tumble at National Club Pool Championships

South African records tumbled at Newton Park in the DHL Lifesaving South Africa National Club Pool Championships in Gqeberha.

South Africa’s most decorated male pool lifesaving specialist, Tuks’s Johan Lourens, was a late withdrawal because of injury, but despite his absence Tuks continued with their commanding performances as a club at the national pool championships.

Lourens, in the past few years, has always bagged new South African records and, on occasion, world records, and again it was a Tuks teammate Kendra du Toit who was the first to break the national barrier in the 100 LC Metre Manikin Tow and Tube Pool Juniors in a time of 1.02.84.

Photo: Michael Sheehan/Lifesaving South Africa

There were also South African records for Harties’s Christian van Eerden in the 14 year-old grouping and Boksberg’s Aiden Bornman in the 15-16 year-olds 200 LC metres obstacle.

There were standout performances from Summerstrand’s Keira van Heerden, who took gold in two individual events among the 14 year-olds, while Clifton’s Savannah Voigt was also a double winner.

Wade Beukes was the pick of the males in the u14s and Bloemfontein Sentraal’s Len Douglas Mac Kay was a triple winner among male 17-18 year olds.

Umhlanga teen lifesaving sensation Tatum Botha’s rocked from the outset in the Pool team relays.

Botha, competing in the female 14-18 years LC Meter 4 x 50 m obstacle relay, combined with Madison Alberts, Anya Hocking and Mia Rule for victory and then contributed for another gold in the female 19-29 years category in the same discipline.

Botha, Hocking, Saskia Hockly and the very experienced international Sasha-Lee Nordegen were too powerful as a unit.

The male, 14-18 for the same event, Umhlanga also proved victorious through the quartet