Local swimming star Pieter Coetzé breaks 50m backstroke world record

Coetzé won gold in the sprint final at the short-course World Cup in Tashkent. Backstroke specialist Pieter Coetzé took a big step forward in his career on Friday, breaking his first world record at the second leg of the Swimming World Cup in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The 22-year-old swimmer won gold in the men’s 50m backstroke final in 22.09, slicing 0.02 off the previous global short-course mark (set in a 25-metre pool) of 22.11 set by Russia’s Kliment Kolesnikov in Kazan in November 2022. In the process, Coetzé also broke his own South African (and African) record of 22.51 which he achieved at the World Cup gala held in Baku, Azerbaijan last week. Making waves The short-course sprint world record was the latest among a growing list of achievements by Coetzé, who continued to indicate he could lead the nation’s charge at the next edition of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. Last year he earned three medals at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, including gold in the 100m backstroke, and at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year he bagged six medals, including three gold. Coetzé was expected to compete again in Baku on Saturday, in the 100m backstroke event.