Day 6 Recap – Nel Strikes Bronze, Moll and Van Niekerk Through to Finals - South Africa Sports News and Blog Site

Berlin, Germany – July 22, 2025

Day 6 of swimming at the 2025 Rhine-Ruhr World University Games saw Team South Africa continue their competitive momentum in the pool, with several standout performances that pushed athletes through to semifinals and finals on a busy Tuesday programme at the Schwimm- und Sprunghalle im Europasportpark.

Morning Session – Key Progressions in the Sprints and Breaststroke

The morning began with Dylan Wright competing in the Men’s 200m Backstroke (Heat 3). Wright finished 7th in his race in 2:02.93, but did not progress to the semifinals.

South Africa found more success in the sprint events. In the Women’s 50m Freestyle, both entrants advanced:

Michaela Kim de Villiers placed 5th in Heat 6 with 25.82 to qualify,
while Olivia Nel looked sharp in Heat 7, finishing 3rd in 25.39 to book her place in the semifinals.

In the Men’s 50m Freestyle, Guy Connor Brooks impressed with a swift 22.96 in Heat 7 to take 2nd place, but the time fell short of semifinal qualification.

The Women’s 200m Butterfly featured Leigh Mc Morran, who clocked 2:19.54 for 7th in her heat and did not advance.

South Africa then enjoyed a strong showing in the Women’s 100m Breaststroke:

Lara van Niekerk swam 1:08.92 in Heat 4 for 2nd place,
and Simone Moll followed with a superb 1:07.87 in Heat 6, also 2nd.

Both comfortably progressed to the evening semifinals.

The morning concluded with the Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay, where the South African quartet placed 4th in their heat with 7:30.43, narrowly missing a spot in the final.

Evening Session – Nel Takes Bronze, Moll Leads Breaststroke Charge

The evening finals and semifinals brought more highlights. The Women’s 50m Backstroke Final featured two South Africans. Olivia Nel claimed a well-earned bronze medal with a powerful swim of 27.91, while teammate Michaela de Villiers placed 5th in 28.37 in a closely contested race.

Momentum carried into the Women’s 100m Breaststroke Semifinals:

Simone Moll dominated Semifinal 1, winning in 1:07.94 and qualifying for the final.
Lara van Niekerk followed with a composed effort in Semifinal 2, placing 3rd in 1:08.46 to also advance.

In the Women’s 50m Freestyle Semifinals, Nel again impressed, storming to victory in Semifinal 1 with a blistering 24.96 – the fastest time of the round. De Villiers, however, could not replicate her morning form and placed 8th in the same semifinal with 25.84, missing the cut for the final.

Building Towards More Finals

Day 6 ensured that South Africa remained firmly in the spotlight of the swimming programme. Nel’s bronze in the 50m Backstroke added another medal to the team tally, while her commanding 50m Freestyle semifinal win sets up another strong medal opportunity. Moll and Van Niekerk’s progress in the 100m Breaststroke kept the nation’s breaststroke tradition alive, guaranteeing two South Africans on the blocks for the final.