4th Open European Swimming Championship - Poland -2008

Synopsis of the Performances of Team South-Africa
August 2008

Team South Africa came 3rd overall with a total of 18 medals: 2 Gold, 9 Silver and 7 Bronze. Great Britain was the overall winning team and Hong Kong the runner-up. The SA male relay team broke the Africa and SA records in all 5 of the relay events and medalled in four – 3 silver and 1 bronze. The female relay team medalled in all five events – 2 silver and 3 bronze – and broke 2 African and SA Records in the process. A total of 15 African and SA Records were broken, 2 Downs World Records and 21 personal best times were achieved.

CRAIG GROENEWALD (29) from Gauteng was our top swimmer with 2 Gold, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze medal. He medalled in all his individual events and also obtained a further 3 silver and 1 Bronze medal as part of the relay team.

Sipho Mjoka (19), a young swimmer from KZN, is ranked in the top 12 in all his events and swam personal best times in 2 events. He won 2 silver medals as part of the relay team.

Valentino Vergotine (21) from Western Cape swam 2 personal best times while his relay team came 4th and they broke the African and SA Record.

Cindy Mkhize (17) from KZN is the first woman from the previously disadvantaged group to have qualified for an International Event. She swam personal best times in all 5 of her individual events, reached the finals in the 50m Breaststroke and broke the African as well as the SA Record in the process. Cindy specialises in Breaststroke and has been in training for only a year and should develop into one of South Africa’s top female swimmers.

Jennifer Higgins (24) (KZN) is the only female swimmer with Down syndrome to participate at this Championship. She participated in all the longer distances (events she holds the Downs World Records in) namely the gruelling 400m IM, 400 and 800m Freestyle as well as the 200M Breaststroke and Backstroke. She broke the Downs World Record in the 800M Freestyle as well as the 200M Backstroke. She is also a member of the 4 x 200M freestyle female relay team that won a silver medal and in the process broke the Africa and SA Record.

Cornelia Fowler (28) (KZN) has been a member of the SASA-II National Swimming Team since 1998. She broke her own SA Record in the 200m Breaststroke, resulting in a 4th overall position in this event. She is ranked in the top 10 in all but one of her individual events, making finals in four. She was a team member in all five of the relay events and swam personal best times in three of her five relay legs, obtaining 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Dorothy Smit (22) (SWD), reached the finals in 4 of her individual events and broke the African and SA Records in the 800m Freestyle and the 200m Butterfly. She was a member of the female relay and swam in all 5 events, winning 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.

Lourette Seyffert (25) North West also reached finals in 2 events and swam personal best times in 4 individual events. She also swam in the 5 relay events, winning 2 silver and 3 bronze medals.
Leanne Sterrenberg (27) from Western Cape swam in four of the five relay events, scooping silver and 3 bronze medals. She furthermore bettered her entry times in two of her individual events.

Compiled by:
Albert Warnick (HOD), Ina Fowler (Team Manager) and managerial officials (August 2008)