Cheers escape into the chlorine-tinged air. Young legs move up and down nervously and hands cling to the railings around the swimming pool. Bang! Jenna Higgins (24) dives gracefully into the pool and moves quickly through the water, competing in the 200m backstroke. She clocks in at 3:39,68. It is the new world record.
Petite Lize-Marie Retief (20) of Pretoria again rose to the occasion on the fourth and last day of finals at the Telkom South African National Short-Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg on Tuesday, shattering the African and South African records for the women’s 100m butterfly.