A keenly contested final of the women’s 400m freestyle is expected on the opening night of the 2007 Telkom South African National Aquatic Championships at the Kings Park Aquatic Centre in Durban on Tuesday following the heats on the first morning of the six-day event.
Melissa Corfe, of KwaZulu-Natal, set the fastest time in the heats on Tuesday with 4:17,66 as all 16 qualifiers for the A and B finals met South African qualifying-times standards.
Of note in eighth spot and as a result a place in the A final is Natalie du Toit, who is a multiple record holder and winner for handicapped swimmers.
She more than held her own against the able-bodied competitors with a time of 4:29,8 and, apart from Corfe, faces Christy Leigh Lategan, Wendi Trott, Kathryn Meakin, Bianca Meyer, Yolandi van der Merwe and Karlien van Heerden in Tuesday night’s A final.
The other final is the men’s 400m freestyle in the A and B divisions. Jay-Cee Thomson of Central Gauteng set the fastest time at 4:01,28 in the morning heats.
Suzaan van Biljon of Northern Tigers was the top 100m women’s breaststroke qualifier with 1:12,53, while swim stars Ryk Neethling (22,76) and Gerhard Zandberg had comfortable swims in the men’s 50m freestyle qualifiers. — Sapa