Pieter Coetzé timed his surge to perfection to grab his first senior world title in the 100m backstroke final, marking a proud moment for South African swimming. Image: Lintao Zhang/Getty Images.
(The Post News)– South Africa’s Pieter Coetzé delivered a spectacular performance to win his first senior world title at the World Aquatics Championships, and he did it in style. The backstroke ace surged from behind to snatch gold in the 100m final, edging out some of the world’s best in a thrilling finish.
Although he didn’t get off to the fastest start and was sitting in fourth at the halfway mark, Coetzé’s underwater work and explosive final 20 meters proved unbeatable. He powered past race leader Kliment Kolesnikov and held off Italy’s Thomas Ceccon to touch the wall first.
For Coetzé, who recently won gold at the World University Games, this victory was more about standing on top of the podium than chasing records, though it helps that he dipped under 52 seconds again.
He admitted that he had always believed this moment would come, but achieving it this year made it even more special. “It didn’t matter what the time was; winning was everything,” he reflected after the race. More action is still to come from Coetzé in the 50 m and 200 m backstroke.
Teammate Chris Smith also impressed, booking his spot in the 50m breaststroke final, while Aimee Canny narrowly missed out on the 200m freestyle final.
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