The Telkom South African National swimming championships playing out to a near capacity crowd came to life at the Kings Park pool in Durban on Monday night with a resounding bang.

The fireworks were provided by some of the most exciting racing witnessed during these championships, a new continental mark, South Africa's first swimmer to meet Swimming South Africa's stringent commonwealth Games qualifying standards and a number of new title holders were crowned.

While indications are that the qualifying standards will be relaxed it was Sarah Poewe from the Western province who made sure that she will make the trip based on these. She scorched to a season's best 2:25.10 in the 200m breaststroke to become the sole qualifier for the trip to Manchester in retaining her title she captured at Ellis Park last year.

Central Gauteng freestyle ace Helene Muller powered her way to a new African and South African mark of 1:59.87 in the 200m freestyle final to shave, 02 seconds off her mark established at the Sydney Olympic games eighteen months ago.

The Federation doesn't seemed to have learned from Athletics SA that you cannot force your athletes to peak twice in four months for international championships by breaking national records on the local scene.

ASA came short with this strategy when athletes who had peaked for March were on a down four months later at both the Sydney Olympics and the IAAF World Championships in Edmonton.

SSA had to devise the tough system demanding a string of SA records because they received a directive from Nocsa that only medal-winners would be accepted into the Commonwealth Games team for Manchester in July.

So with two of the six-day programme to go, SSA have only Poewe to offer Nocsa and clearly the swim federation are going to have to revise the criteria. For instance, only half of Australia's 41 swimming contingent would have qualified for the Games thus far under SSA's stringent selection criteria.

Especially so, after a torrid international season of short-course and World Cup meetings for South Africa's top swimmers.

Charlene Wittstock said she was very tired going into her 50m backstroke final. "I've been on the go for nine months. I also got food poisoning in Moscow," she said after the semis. "I'm in the top 10 in the world (200m short-course), but to go to the Commonwealth Games we have to compete here and meet these tough qualifying standards."

Men's 100m freestyle semi-final
Olympian and multiple NCAA champion is certainly a class act. The KZN ace effortlessly claimed top spot for Tuesday nights final when after cruising with the pack, extended his stroke to win his semi comfortably in a time of 51.45 ahead of Hendrick Odendaal (WP)(51.68) and the versatile Gerhard Zandberg (NTS) (52.36).

Lynden Ferns (NP) won the second semi in a time of 51.86 after an exciting tussle with the KZN duo of Nick Folker (51.99) and the promising Stephan Ackerman (52.33).

Women's 200m Breaststroke
Sarah Poewe (WP) had the vocal crowd in raptures as they edged her on to the first Commonwealth Games qualifying time of the meet when she claimed a comfortable victory in 2:25.10 in a race that she led from the gun.

Once she realised she had made the stringent qualifying time she punched the air, acknowledged her coach, Karoley von Toros and accepted the congratulations of her team mate Ingrid Haiden who won the silver in a time of 2:30.55. Tamaryn Loubscher (NTS) won bronze in a time of 2:32.14,

Men's 200m Breaststroke
Terence Parkin stepped up for the Men's final and despite the good intentions of the vocal crowd he was unable to emulate Poewe's effort, despite claiming victory in 2:16.20.

Greg Owen (CGA)had his best swim of the meet when he matched Parkin stroke for stroke over the first 150m, only for Parkin to power away going into the wall. Owen posted a 2:17.43 and can be well satisfied with his effort. Neil Versfeld (KZN) won the bronze in a time of 2:19.98.

Women's 50m Backstroke
Superior underwater work saw the powerful Renate du Plessis (WP) claim a surprise victory over Charlene Wittstock when she held off the fast finishing lass from Durban in yet another exciting tussle which saw the near capacity crowd extremely vocal.

Du Plessis claimed the title in 29.84 while a visibly tired Wittstock had to settle for the silver in a time of 30.09. The up and coming Monique Malan was a clear winner of the bronze in 30.67 while Romy Altmann (WP)had to settle for fourth place in 31.18

Men's 50m Backstroke
Once again it was Gerhard Zandberg (NTS)who claimed an emphatic victory in the backstroke sprint event. While he fell a tad short of his national and continental mark his victory was decisive.

He recorded a 26.28 to deny Swiss national, Alain Tardin(KZN) the honours. Tardin posted a 26.95 while Carl Marais (NTS)did well to hold off Ryan Heydenrych (WP)(27.54) and Jeff Norton (KZN) (27.78) in claiming the bronze in a time of 27.41.

Women's 200m Individual Medley
Candice Little (CGA) goes into Tuesday night's final as the firm favourite after posting a 2:20.14 ahead of the versatile Western Province ace Marizanne Grundlingh who shadowed her in a time of 2:23.10.

Winner of the first semi, Nicola Stanley (KZN)is third fastest going into the final in a time of 2:24.05 while Tamaryn Laubscher (NTS)third in the first heat, posted a time of 2:24.21 ahead of Erna Wedemeyer (NTS)(2:24.37).

Men's 200m Individual Medley
Theo Verster (KZN) was chasing that Commonwealth Games qualifying time with a vengeance, but came up just shy of the continental and national mark with a clinical display in posting a 2:02.91. His time was less than a second off Terence Parkin's mark of 2:01.95 established at the 2000 version of these championships.

One hopes that with a less congested program on Tuesday that Parkin and Verter will compliment each other in pushing for that elusive Commonwealth Games QT of 2:01.67.

Parkin (KZN) claimed the third fastest time going into the final in a time of 2:11.61 behind the 17 year old Darian Townsend (KZN) who was impressive in his effort with a 2:09.03.

Women's 100m Butterfly
Renate du Plessis was on a high and pumped to the hilt. Her effort earlier in the backstroke sprint had the likeable Western Province ace extremely motivated in her efforts and she looked impressive in this final.

Utilising her experience gained over the years on the international circuit, she utilised her underwater prowess to place pressure on the Gauteng flyer Mandy Loots (CGA)from the gun.

While it was anyone's race with ten meters to go, Loots was certainly not ready to relinquish her title and held on to win in 1:00.88. du Plessis posted a 1:01.18 to claim the silver while stalwart Candice Crafford (KZN) turned on the Gas to edge out training partner Lauren Sparg (KZN)for the bronze.

Crafford posted a 1:02.88 while Sparg had to be content with a 1:03.33.

Men's 100m Butterfly
The efforts of the 200m IM took their toll on stalwart Theo Verster in this race. He went into the final as the firm favourite after posting a 53.62 in last night's semi finals.

Out like a flash with his distinctive stroke, Verster held a slight advantage going into the turn, but coming home his IM efforts took their toll as the pack hunted him down.

With the crowd extremely vocal it was Lynden Ferns (NP) who claimed his first senior national title when he edged out the stalwart going into the wall. Ferns posted a 55.46 while the exhausted Verster hung on for silver in a time of 55.79 ahead of 16-year-old Fouche Venter from Border who went a 56.18.

A special mention must go to Chris Sparks (KZN) who looked a likely winner with ten metres to go only to tighten up and finish in fourth place in a time of 56.22. Sparks has a bright future ahead of him and should take great encouragement from this performance.

Women's 200m Freestyle
Helene Mullers'effort was great. Leading from the gun, her solo effort, culminating in a national and continental record was commendable. Her time of 1:59.87 was still almost half a second off the unrealistic Commonwealth Games QT.

KZN stalwart Kirsten van Heerden won the silver in a time of 2:03.95 while Melissa Corfe (KZN) fought back to claim bronze in a time of 2:04.24 while Nicola Stanley (KZN) had to settle for fourth place in 2:05.79.

Men's 800m Freestyle
Troyden Prinsloo (KZN) along with George du Rand (FS) and Mark Randall (Bor) took this race by the scruff of the neck from the gun. Matching each other stroke for stroke through the first quarter, it was any ones race.

At the 200m mark Prinsloo made a move and by the half way stage had opened a lead of a body length.

With 200m to go, du Rand made his move with Randall unable to respond. At the 700m mark du Rand seized the moment and gained a slight advantage. This was almost a body length with 50m to go and the writing was on the wall, or was it ?

Prinsloo turned in a gutsy 35m and with 10m to go once again moved ahead of du Rand who was unable to respond.

Prinsloo claimed his first senior title in 8:17.25 while du Rand had to settle for silver in 8:18.22 with Randall maintaining his pace for bronze in 8:24.34.

Women's 200m Freestyle Relay
Helene Muller held the trump card in this race and certainly did not let her Central Gauteng teammates of Mandy Loots, Leanne Calderia and Ilse Peterson down as she hauled in KZN's Charlene Wittstock over the final 20m to snatch victory foe CGA. Their winning time was 1:48.06 while KZN had to settle for the silver in 1:48.65. Western Province took the bronze in 1:49.53.

                   Telkom S A National Aquatic Championships                   
                           Durban  12-17 April 2002                            
                                 Day 4 Results                                 
 
Event 27  Mixed 200 LC Meter IM
===============================================================================
    Name                     Age Team                    Seed     Finals        
===============================================================================
  1 Groenewald, Craig F       23 Central Gauteng-CG   2:38.79    2:31.59        
  2 Coates, David P           23 Kzn-KZ               2:40.30    2:37.36        
  3 Nathan, Oliver            17 Central Gauteng-CG   2:54.07    2:54.14        
  4 Schreuder, Carl C         35 Central Gauteng-CG        NT    2:57.61        
  5 Fowler, Cornelia J        21 Kzn-KZ               3:23.88    3:24.85        
  6 Sterrenberg, Leanne       20 W Prov-WP                 NT    3:27.91        
 


Event 31  Women 200 LC Meter Breaststroke
===============================================================================
       WORLD: # 2:22.99  13/04/2001Hui Qi at Hanghou CHN, CHN                  
      Africa: # 2:23.64  27/08/1999Penelope Heyns, RSA                         
         S A: * 2:23.64  25/08/1999Penny Heyns at Pan Pacific Cha, RSA         
                2:28.31  CWQT
 Meet Qualifying:  2:28.31
    Name               Age Team                   Semis     Finals       Points 
===============================================================================
Finals
  1 Poewe, Sarah        19 W Prov-WP            2:28.86    2:25.10 CWQT   
  2 Haiden, Ingrid G    17 W Prov-WP            2:33.14    2:30.55        
  3 Laubscher, Tamaryn  17 Nts-NT               2:35.53    2:32.14        
  4 Hildebrand, Tanya   24 Central Gauteng-CG   2:40.31    2:37.03        
  5 Burke, Natalie A    17 W Prov-WP            2:41.61    2:37.42        
  6 Bonney, Kim D       16 W Prov-WP            2:40.74    2:38.23        
  7 V Biljon, Suzaan    13 FS-FS                2:40.09    2:39.84        
  8 Jardine, Ziada      17 W Prov-WP            2:39.88    2:40.16        
 


Event 32  Men 200 LC Meter Breaststroke
===============================================================================
       WORLD: # 2:10.16  29/07/1992Mike Barrowman at Barcelona, USA            
      Africa: # 2:12.50  16/09/2000Terence M Parkin at 2000 Olymp, RSA         
         S A: * 2:12.50  16/09/2000Terence M Parkin at 2000 Olymp, RSA         
                2:12.70  CWQT
 Meet Qualifying:  2:12.70
    Name               Age Team                   Semis     Finals       Points 
===============================================================================
  1 Parkin, Terence M   22 Kzn-KZ               2:16.66    2:16.20        
  2 Owen, Gregory D     21 Central Gauteng-CG   2:21.57    2:17.43        
  3 Versfeld, Neil R    17 Kzn-KZ               2:21.94    2:19.98        
  4 Badenhorst, Jan-He  17 W Prov-WP            2:21.50    2:20.21        
  5 Du Toit, Michiel A  18 FS-FS                2:21.22    2:20.98        
  6 Prozesky, Corn