TASHKENT, Uzbekistan — Team South Africa wrapped up the second stop of the 2026 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in spectacular fashion, adding two more medals on the final day of competition to bring their Tashkent tally to six.
Following a record-breaking Day 2, Pieter Coetze completed a flawless sweep of the backstroke events, while Rebecca Meder delivered a gritty performance to claim bronze in the individual medley.
Coetze's Masterclass Continues
After already claiming gold in the 200m and setting a new World Record in the 50m backstroke, all eyes were on Pieter Coetze heading into the Men’s 100m Backstroke on Day 3. He did not disappoint.
The 22-year-old signalled his intent early, dominating the morning heats to qualify in top spot with a comfortable 50.17. In the evening final, Coetze found another gear, storming to the wall in a blistering 48.21 to secure his third gold medal of the meet and set a new African short-course record in the process. He finished nearly a full second ahead of Russia’s Pavel Samusenko (49.17) and Jan Cejka of the Czech Republic (49.84).
Meder Digs Deep for Bronze
In the Women’s 200m Individual Medley, Rebecca Meder showcased her tactical brilliance. She controlled her morning heat perfectly, advancing as the fastest qualifier with a time of 2:11.58.
The final proved to be a fiercely contested battle. China’s Yiting Yu pulled away to take the gold in 2:03.34, leaving a tight race for the minor placings. Meder dug deep over the final freestyle leg, touching the wall in 2:06.86 to claim a brilliant bronze medal just behind Great Britain’s Abbie Wood (2:06.53). Fellow South African Aimee Canny also put in a strong showing in the final, finishing sixth with a time of 2:09.05.
The Road to Astana and Beijing
With three golds and a World Record from Coetze, another gold from Michael Houlie in the 50m breaststroke, and bronze medals from Meder and Matthew Caldwell, Team SA leaves Uzbekistan in phenomenal form.
The squad will now travel to Astana, Kazakhstan, for the third and final leg of the World Cup series from October 15-17. These high-pressure racing blocks are serving as the ultimate proving ground as the athletes fine-tune their preparations for the showpiece event of the short-course season: the World Swimming Championships (25m) in China this December.
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