Roland Schoeman was to leave Hamburg on Monday with a brand-new car and $15 000 in his pocket after his world-record-breaking exploits over the weekend.
The 26-year-old star was selected as the swimmer of the meet at the Deutscher Ring Aquatics short-course competition in Hamburg after setting a new world record of 20,98 seconds in the 50m freestyle on Saturday. He followed that up on Sunday with victory in the 100m individual medley, which he won in a time of 52,56.
Schoeman’s former training partner Ryk Neethling was third in that race in 54,19 and second in the 200m freestyle. Neethling, who is only just returning to competition after a two-month break, swam 1:46,01 to finish well behind Olympic champion Pieter van den Hoogenband of The Netherlands, who touched the wall in 1:43,52.
Meanwhile, Neethling and Schoeman’s fellow Olympic relay gold medallist Lyndon Ferns was first home in the 50m butterfly. Having finished runner-up in the 100m butterfly on Saturday, Ferns took victory in the 50m event in 23,24 seconds.
Representing the South African women was world short-course silver medallist Suzaan van Biljon, who took her second gold of the meet, winning the 200m breaststroke in 2:23,42. Van Biljon finished well ahead of the Ukraine’s Ganna Khlystunova, who was second in 2:25,57.
Lize-Mari Retief was fourth in the 100m butterfly, finishing in 59,84 seconds. — Sapa