Teen sensation Jessica Thompson makes big splash at SA Short Course Championships

Teen swimming sensation Jessica Thompson made the biggest splash at the SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg, which ended on Sunday, grabbing a whopping five gold medals in the first three days of competition.

Thompson also obliterating the longstanding national 50m backstroke record and equalled the African mark held by Zimbabwe legend Kirsty Coventry.

Thompson, the 18-year-old from Johannesburg, was disappointed to miss out on the SA record in taking gold in the 50m butterfly on Thursday night at the event. She also cruised to gold in the 100m freestyle.

Thompson’s "disappointment" would not last long, as she set a new mark in the 50m backstroke of 26.85 seconds, breaking the record Chanelle van Wyk had set 16 years ago. With three gold medals already in the bag, Thompson added two more on Saturday — in the 50m freestyle, which she won in 24.19, just five hundredths of a second off Caitlin de Lange’s national record, and the 100m backstroke in 58.34.

“I think in the 50, you don’t have time to think — that’s the beauty about the races. It’s more just trusting in your training and you can’t think about it — your body goes into autopilot,” said the Cardinal Aquatics swimmer. Record-holder De Lange finished second in the freestyle in 24.65.

Lara van Niekerk showed glimpses of her old self on day three, after a year of battling back from injury, illness, and numerous disappointments. Van Niekerk looked to be in a much happier place as she added the 50m breaststroke title to the 100m gold she won on the opening day of competition.

The 22-year-old took the win in a time of 30.04, and while she was hoping for a sub-30-second time, she said afterwards: “I can just take this as a positive. It’s faster than I went at worlds last year, so it’s baby steps. Rome wasn’t built in a day, so we’re getting there.”

The championships marked another major comeback for former Olympic butterfly champion Chad le Clos, who walked away with four gold medals, including a surprise win in the 50m backstroke. He also did the double in his more familiar butterfly event and won the 100m freestyle.

“I feel great. I think the backstroke was the highlight … It’s weird, my backstroke and my freestyle were probably my better swims, not my butterflies,” he said afterwards. “I want to try and keep going as long as I can and I think the 50s have given me a lot of life, especially short course. I know I will improve and I’ve got a lot of big things coming … I think I’m going to settle nicely into the new year, build towards April and then hopefully surprise everybody next year, that’s the plan.”