Chris Smith, Michael Houlie deliver world championship qualifiers

Chris Smith became the first newcomer to crack a world championship qualifying time at the national trials in Gqeberha as he set the pace in the 50m breaststroke on Saturday morning.

The 19-year-old, who broke the under-20 short-course world junior record last year, dominated the final heat of his event to win in 26.89 

In the previous heat Michael Houlie, a veteran of the 2019 and 2023 world championships, also dipped under the 27.33 standard to book his berth at the global showpiece in Singapore later this year, touching in 26.90 to set up a mouth-watering final.

With three sessions to go, six swimmers have achieved qualifying times, four of them men.

Pieter Coetzé nailed his third automatic world championship qualifying mark of the gala, adding the 50m freestyle to the 50m and 100m backstroke.

The 20-year-old Olympian clocked 22.05, way ahead of a field where his closest rival, 16-year-old Armand Landmann, went 22.96.

Coetzé is seeking his fourth crown of the South African showpiece at the Newton Park pool and if he succeeds in the evening he will be on track to defend all five of his titles from last year, with only the 200m backstroke to come on Sunday.

Erin Gallagher looked comfortable in the 100m butterfly heats as she posted 59.16, the quickest time of the heats, suggesting she’ll have a good chance of joining Coetzé and co if she beats the 57.32 qualifying standard.

The women’s 50m freestyle could also produce a qualifier.

Caitlin de Lange set the pace in the women’s 50m freestyle, clocking 25.02, ahead of Olivia Nel (25.28), Jessica Thompson (25.31) and Gallagher (25.53). The time they need to beat is 24.86.

Matthew Sates, one of the six qualifiers, was the fastest in the men’s 100m butterfly in 53.99.

And Simone Moll was the fastest in the women’s 50m breaststroke in 31.17, with the Singapore criterion sitting at 30.75.