Dylan Bettencourt
South African teenage swimmer Lara van Niekerk scored the country’s first medal at the Fina World Championships in Budapest.
Van Niekerk claimed the bronze medal in the women’s 50m breaststroke final, finishing with a time of 29.90 on Saturday.
The 19-year-old became the first South African to win a medal at the tournament as the swimming section came to an end.
The remaining events – diving, water polo and open water sections will conclude on 3 July.
Van Niekerk’s medal meant South Africa’s record of claiming at least one medal at every long course world championship since 2001 was preserved.
“Surprisingly I wasn’t that nervous. I thought I would be way more freaked out than I was,” van Niekerk said.
“I was actually very calm and just focused on what I had to do and how I had to execute the race, so I think that was a really good thing – learning how to manage the nerves.”
Earlier this year, the young swimmer stunned South African Olympic gold medalist Tatjana Schoenmaker at the South African Swimming Championships when she defeated her in the 100m breaststroke.
Van Niekerk’s coach Eugene da Ponte said the team were already focusing on the Commonwealth Games set to begin in July.
“That was half the reason we decided to come here, to deal with the more high-pressure situation so that when we get to the Commonwealth Games, we can really focus and try to swim really fast,” da Ponte added.
“This was more for experience and that’s going to be for trying to get the times we really want. I’m looking forward to it. I know Lara is too.”
The Commonwealth Games is scheduled to begin on 28 July and run until 8 August where van Niekerk will race in the 50 and 100m breaststroke events.
Image source: @TheCitizen
