Talk about a winning morning swim! Erin Gallagher swam a best time at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha AND made history with a new record!
Doha, Qatar (12 February 2024) — South Africa’s water warriors set off late last week for the 2024 World Aquatics Championships in Doha, with many of our swimmers well-prepared to make South Africa proud as a precursor to the Paris Olympics. Basking in SA’s pride is 25-year-old swimmer Erin Gallagher whose morning swim turned into an African record!
We’re sure Pretoria couldn’t be prouder of their girl who showed Worlds what putting heat into a heat looks like; especially during one of the most nerve-racking swims at a big event considering it was the first race.
Erin made her record-setting splash thanks to her time of 57.59 for the 100m butterfly. This led her to qualify for the semi-finals, where she kept her victory streak going by, soaring in at third place for that heat, ultimately earning her first opportunity to swim in the finals for Worlds.
The record Erin set is a new record for the continent; breaking the previous time set by Erin herself.
Experiencing a moment of such magnitude so early on at Worlds came as a big surprise to the young swimmer, who described it as both a shock and a treat”.
“Being the first race of the gala, with the nerves and breaking the ice, sometimes you can have a bit of a rusty swim and you realise what you need to work on, so to see that African record next to my time was a really big shock for me.”
Because she hardly expected it to go so well so early on made it that much more of a treat.
Joining Erin in the finals cohort is Chad Le Clos, who congratulated Erin by sharing he’s very happy for her and her progress.
Meanwhile, other South Africans continue to give the Worlds’ waters their best, with the Championship on until 18 February (Sunday).
Sources: Team SA
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