The Super Seals Swimming Club has high hopes of bringing home medals when they head to Cape Town next week for the 2025 South African National Junior Swimming Championships.
As the season winds down, junior swimmers from across the country will be battling it out for national honours at the University of the Western Cape in Bellville.
Bloemfontein – and the Free State as a whole – has a proud tradition of producing top swimmers, and more often than not, they punch well above their weight. This year is expected to be no different. The coach of the Super Seals, Simon Gray, told Bloemfontein Courant he believes several of his swimmers will not only reach the podium in the Mother City but also finish among the top five in South Africa.
“Well, I’ve got Jedrick Geleta, who’s 16 years old – he’ll be competing in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,500m freestyle, as well as the 200m and 400m individual medley,” said Gray, a former Olympian.
“Then there’s Danae de Klerk, who made the team that went to Namibia last year. Her specialties are the 100m and 200m butterfly, along with the 200m and 400m individual medley. She’s going to do exceptionally well.
“They’ve trained hard, they’re well-conditioned, and this is the final week of intense training. From Monday, they’ll start tapering.”
Gray added that swimmers such as Leandri Prinsloo, Chrissie Kotze, Connor le Gassick, and Denue du Plessis are also expected to deliver strong performances. A few up-and-coming swimmers may even spring a surprise.
“Leandi Prinsloo has a good chance at a medal and is a very strong swimmer. Chrissie Kotze, a breaststroker, just turned 16 – unfortunately, the timing of his birthday isn’t ideal in terms of age categories. And then there’s Connor le Gassick, who’ll be in action in the 100m and 200m backstroke – they’re all going to perform well.
“I’ve also got Deune du Plessis, as well as several promising youngsters who should make the finals. But the swimmers I’ve mentioned are definitely in contention for medals and in the top-five in South Africa.”
The 2025 South African National Junior Swimming Championships will take place in Bellville from 25 to 29 April. – MORGAN PIEK
