SA Open Water Swim Champs concludes in Jeffreys Bay
The SA Open Water Swimming Championships concluded at the Marina Martinique with Leigh McMorran and Nathan Hughes winning the 5km gold medals on Sunday.
Johannesburg’s McMorran (17) clocked a fast 1:01:24.07 to defend her 2020 title ahead of KZN’s Sasha-Lee Corris (24) in 1:01:26.71 and St Francis Bay swimmer Amica de Jager (22) in 1:01:28.32.
Tshwane’s Callan Lotter (15) and Kiarah George (15) also made the 14-16 FINA Qualification list, finishing with the silver and bronze in their age group event in 1:05:16.26 and 1:06:28.94, with the gold in the race going to KZN’s Mykae Forrest (16) in 1:03:19.31.
The men’s 5km race saw KZN’s Hughes (21) take home the gold medal in 58:34.83, while the FINA World Junior Open Water Swimming Championships qualifiers in the 14-16 age group race were the Western Cape’s Keegan Wright (15) and Liam Ellis (15) in 1:01:52.72 and 1:02:28.64, respectively.
The 17-18 category gold and silver were claimed by KZN’s Connor Buck (18) in 58:37.26 and the Free State’s Pieter Delport (18) in 1:00:22.98, while the bronze went to KZN’s Leshen Pillay (17) in 1:00:25.65.
The SA Champs was held over three days at Marina Martinique, regarded as the open water swim capital of Africa and was hosted by the Kouga Municipality.