OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Friday 11.45am.
SOUTH African Double Olympic champion Penny Heyns broke the 50m breaststroke national and Africa record at the South African short course championships in Cape Town on Friday morning.
Heyns, who set a world mark of 30,95 seconds for the first 50m of the Goodwill Games 100m, in a regular 50m long-course pool, swam 31,63 in the 25m Long Street pool.
”It’s a bit sad when your long-course time is quicker than your short-course time,” Heyns joked afterwards, saying the world short-course record of 30,77 is within her reach. ”I know I’m capable of the world record, but there are a lot of factors that come into play.”
Heyns hopes to improve her time in the evening semifinal and final. In the previous heat, Julia Russell beat her own SA and Africa record of 32,29 with a time of 32,14. Western Province schoolgirl Sarah Poewe was the third-fastest of the morning in 32,79.
The championships is a qualifying event for the world short-course champs in Hong Kong in April.