South African Lara van Niekerk named World Swimming’s African Swimmer of the Year
One year ago, South Africa lara van niekerk seen as compatriot Tatjana Schoenmaker he became an Olympic champion and world record holder. A fellow breaststroker, van Niekerk, six years Schoenmaker’s junior, was inspired to continue her country’s breaststroke tradition globally.
In 2017, he showcased his talents as a 14-year-old by winning four gold and one silver medal at the Junior African Championships. A year later, at the African Championships, he won gold in all three of his breaststroke races, plus the medley relay.
He got his first taste of international competition at the 2019 World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary, placing fourth, 20th and 30th in his three individual events.
However, the 2022 season turned out to be his breakout year.
It started with a win over Schoenmaker in the 50 breaststroke at the South African National Championships in April, followed by another gold medal in the 100 breaststroke. Then, after turning 19 in May, she turned in stellar performances at the World Championships in June and the Commonwealth Games in late July and early August, leading to her being named Swimming World’s 2022 African Swimmer of the Year.
He won the bronze medal in the 50 breaststroke at the Worlds (29.90) and was a gold medalist in the 50 and 100 breaststroke (29.73, 1:05.47) at the Commonwealth Games, finishing the year in ranked No. 3 in the world in both events. her and a Commonwealth Games record 50 breaststroke.
Winning a medal at Worlds was something he didn’t expect, especially after he had his appendix removed.
“A medal means so much more to me after everything I’ve been through in the last two months,” van Niekerk posted on Instagram. “Unfortunately I had to have my appendix removed after contracting acute appendicitis nine weeks ago…and then contracted a lung infection shortly after that definitely challenged me physically and mentally, more than I had thought. But I have the best support system, and that kept me going. Thank you to everyone who supported me and showed me so much love.”
His signature run came at the Commonwealth Games where he defeated Schoenmaker head-to-head in the 100m breaststroke to claim gold. It was a spectacular finish for South Africa and a race in which van Niekerk showed that he could beat the best in the world. When he touched the wall and saw that he had won, van Niekerk tilted his head back and looked up in amazement: “Double Commonwealth champion… and I couldn’t be happier!”
In addition to his achievements on long courses, he also turned in an impressive performance at the South African Championships on short courses in August. He swept the breaststroke races (29.62, 1:04.89, 2:22.75) to qualify in all three events for the 2022 World Short Course Swimming Championships. In Melbourne, van Niekerk was a silver medalist in the 50 breaststroke and placed fifth in the 100 chest.
Long course and short course, and in all three breaststroke distances, van Niekerk has shown that he can thrive on the world stage… and possibly even join Schoenmaker on the sport’s highest stage: the Olympic podium.
TOP 5 AFRICANS (Women)
1. LARA VAN NIEKERK, South Africa (10) 53
2. Tatjana Schoenmaker, South Africa 44
3. Farida Osman, Egypt (1) 28
4. Kaylene Corbett, South Africa 24
5. Erin Gallagher, South Africa 16
(First place votes in parentheses)
