Swimming South Africa has named a 21-swimmer squad for the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, China. The event runs from 1 to 6 December 2026.
Backstroke swimmer Pieter Coetzé and double Olympic champion Tatjana Smith lead the team, IOL Sport reported. Coetzé arrives after a winning World Cup tour, while Smith is coming back from retirement.
Coetzé, 22, is from Pretoria. He won the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke at every World Cup stop in Baku, Tashkent and Astana.
That sweep earned him three Triple Crown bonuses of $10 000, or about R166 000, each. He also set a 50m backstroke world record of 22.09 in Tashkent. His 200m time of 1:48.08 was an African record.
Coetzé won the men’s series title in Astana with 172.9 points, ahead of Egor Kornev on 170.7. The $100 000 winner’s prize, about R1.66m, took his total tour earnings past R2.7m.
In Beijing, Coetzé will swim the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke, the 100m individual medley and the 4x100m freestyle relay.
World Aquatics rules offer a $15 000 Double Crown bonus to a swimmer who wins a World Cup Triple Crown and then wins the same event in Beijing. IOL Sport reported that Coetzé could earn up to about R750 000 from these bonuses, on top of normal prize money.
Smith, 29, announced her retirement after the Paris 2024 Games. Beijing will mark her official return to international swimming. She is entered in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke.
IOL Sport reported that Smith has stepped away from the hard training of the 200m to become a sprint specialist. The 50m breaststroke will make its Olympic debut at Los Angeles 2028.
Smith won gold in the 50m breaststroke at the national short course championships in Pietermaritzburg. She swam a personal best of 29.50 seconds in her comeback.
Michael Houlie won his first World Cup gold medal in the 50m breaststroke during the tour. He will swim the 50m and 100m breaststroke in Beijing. Olivia Nel and Erin Gallagher swam in several sprint finals on the same tour.
Jarden Eaton won all the butterfly titles at the national short course championships. He was picked for the 50m butterfly, subject to verification on the World Aquatics database.
Chad le Clos is entered in the 100m butterfly and the 4x100m freestyle relay. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Lara van Niekerk will swim the 50m breaststroke. Olympic finalist Kaylene Corbett will swim the 200m breaststroke.
Duné Coetzee is entered in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle, plus the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays. Olivia Nel will swim the 100m freestyle, the 50m and 100m backstroke and the 4x100m freestyle relay.
The other women named are Georgia Nel, Grace Morris, Jaime Mote, Sofia French and Stephanie Houtman. The other men are Matthew Caldwell, Guy Brooks, Armand Landman, Chris Smith, Shaun Thomas and Kaydn Naidoo.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.