Rebecca Meder (born 31 July 2002) is a South African swimmer. She is the African record holder in the 100 metre individual medley and the South African record holder in the long course and short course 200 metre individual medley. At the 2022 World Short Course Championships, she placed sixth in the final of the 100 metre individual medley. In the 200 metre individual medley at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she placed fourth in the final. At the 2021 African Championships, she won 11 gold medals, six in individual events and five in relay events, swimming on the finals relay for each of the five relay events.
Career Meder qualified to compete at the 2018 World Short Course Championships in the 200 metre individual medley when she was 16 years old. She competed in the women's 200 metre freestyle at the 2019 World Aquatics Championships. In 2021, she represented South Africa at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan. Following the Olympic Games, she returned to international competition in October at the 2021 African Swimming Championships in Accra, Ghana, winning a total of eleven gold medals, six in the individual events 100 metre freestyle, 200 metre freestyle, 100 metre backstroke, 200 metre backstroke, 200 metre individual medley, 400 metre individual medley, and five as a finals relay member in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, 4×200 metre freestyle relay, 4×100 metre medley relay, 4×100 metre mixed freestyle relay, and 4×100 metre mixed medley relay.Ghana Swimming Association (16 October 2021). "14th Africa Seniors Swimming Championship: Results". Swimming South Africa. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
2022 From her performances at the 2022 South Africa National Swimming Championships, Meder was named to the South Africa team for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in the 100 metre backstroke, 200 metre individual medley, and 400 metre individual medley."Veteran Le Clos joins teenage brigade in SA Team for swimming World Championships". Swimming South Africa. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 18 May 2022. She did not enter to compete in the events at the Championships."19th FINA World Championships Budapest 2022: Athletes RSA - South Africa". FINA. Retrieved 17 June 2022. In June, she was named to the South Africa team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.du Plessis, Lindsay (9 June 2022). "Le Clos, Schoenmaker named in South Africa Commonwealth Games squad". ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
2022 Commonwealth Games Meder placed ninth in the 400 metre individual medley at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in Birmingham, England, with a time of 4:51.65."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 400m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022. The following day, she finished fourth in her preliminaries heat in the 100 metre backstroke and qualified for the semifinals.Burnard, Lloyd (30 July 2022). "Strong showing from SA swimmers as all eyes turn to teenage sensation Van Niekerk". News24. Retrieved 30 July 2022. She qualified for the final in the evening semifinals.Jonckheere, Karien (30 July 2022). "Golden double for SA swimmers in Birmingham". SuperSport. Retrieved 30 July 2022. For the preliminaries of the 50 metre butterfly on day three, she tied Quah Ting Wen of Singapore for eleventh-rank with a time of 27.16 seconds and qualified for the semifinals."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. Later in the day, she placed eleventh in the semifinals with a time of 26.84 seconds and did not qualify for the final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Butterfly Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. Approximately 90 minutes later, she placed seventh in the final of the 100 metre backstroke."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 100m Backstroke Final Results". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022."Three more medals for Team SA in Birmingham pool". Swimming South Africa. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
On the fourth day of competition, Meder ranked second in the preliminaries of the 200 metre individual medley with a 2:12.57, which was 0.45 seconds behind first-ranked Summer McIntosh of Canada, and qualified for the semifinals."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 200m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.Burnard, Lloyd (1 August 2022). "Schoenmaker, Van Niekerk set for epic showdown as SA swimmers shine in Birmingham". News24. Retrieved 1 August 2022."A Team England clean sweep as 14 swimmers progress to tonight's session". Swim England. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022. She placed fourth in the final, finishing less than a second and a half behind bronze medalist Abbie Wood of England with a South African record time of 2:12.01."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 200m Individual Medley Final Results". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022."Double silver and bronze for Team SA on another successful night for SA in the pool". Swimming South Africa. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022. The following day, she started with a time of 29.55 seconds in the 50 metre backstroke preliminaries, qualifying for the semifinals ranking thirteenth."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022."Sprinter Akani Simbine qualifies for second round of 100m at Commonwealth Games". SABC News. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022. Later in the morning, she helped qualify the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay to the final ranking fourth, swimming the backstroke leg of the relay in 1:02.50."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Heats Results Summary". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022. In the evening semifinals of the 50 metre backstroke, she finished in 28.69 seconds, ranking eighth overall and qualifying for the final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Backstroke Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022."Golden girl Van Niekerk makes it two from two as SA swimmers rake in more medals". Swimming South Africa. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022. On the finals mixed medley relay later in the session, Pieter Coetze substituted in for her on the backstroke leg, and the relay placed fourth."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022. On Day six, she placed eighth in the final of the 50 metre backstroke with a 28.66."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Backstroke Final Results". Longines. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022. Later in the finals session, she swam the backstroke portion of the 4×100 metre medley relay in 1:01.39, contributing to a fourth-place finish in a new African record and South African record time of 3:59.63."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results". Longines. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.
Later in August, and following the Commonwealth Games, Meder achieved a personal best time and qualifying time for the 2022 World Short Course Championships in the 200 metre breaststroke with a 2:23.37 at the 2022 South Africa Short Course Championships."Breaststroke battle ensures qualifying times at SA short course champs". Swimming South Africa. 14 August 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2022."Rebecca Meder". FINA. Retrieved 24 December 2022.
2022 World Short Course Championships On the first day of the 2022 World Short Course Championships, in Melbourne, Australia, Meder placed tenth in the 200 metre individual medley with a South African record time of 2:07.47, which broke a 13-year-old record in the event from Katheryn Meaklim at 2:07.54.FINA (13 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 200m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 13 December 2022."Golden start for Sates at World Short Course Championships in Melbourne". Swimming South Africa. 13 December 2022. Retrieved 14 December 2022. Later the same day, she helped achieve thirteenth place in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, anchoring the relay with a time of 54.19 seconds to a new African record time of 3:41.57.FINA (13 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 4x100m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 13 December 2022. On The second day of competition, she split a 1:57.67 for the anchor leg of the 4×200 metre freestyle relay to help place tenth in a time of 8:04.85.FINA (14 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 4x200m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 14 December 2022. On the morning of day three, she set a new African record in the 100 metre individual medley with a personal best time of 59.38 seconds and advanced to the semifinals ranked eighth.FINA (15 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 100m Individual Medley Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 15 December 2022. Later the same morning, she helped achieve an African record in the 4×50 metre freestyle relay, splitting a 25.14 for the second leg to contribute to the record time of 1:40.50 and an overall placing of eleventh.FINA (15 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 4x50m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 15 December 2022. In the evening semifinals of the 100 metre individual medley, she lowered her African record mark to 58.98 seconds and qualified for the final ranking fifth.FINA (15 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 100m Individual Medley Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 15 December 2022."King Chad returns to top spot on world short course podium". Swimming South Africa. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
On the morning of day four, Meder placed nineteenth in the 200 metre breaststroke with a time of 2:23.64.FINA (16 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 200m Breaststroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 December 2022. In the evening, she brought the African record in the 100 metre individual medley down to 58.46 in the final of the event, finishing less than one second behind gold medalist Marrit Steenbergen of the Netherlands to place sixth.FINA (16 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 100m Individual Medley Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 December 2022.Jonckheere, Karien (16 December 2022). "African records for Coetzé and Meder in Melbourne". SuperSport. Retrieved 22 December 2022. On the fifth morning, she finished in a time of 58.04 seconds in the preliminaries of the 100 metre butterfly to place nineteenth.FINA (17 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 100m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 17 December 2022. On The sixth and final day, she helped set a new African record in the preliminaries of the 4×100 metre medley relay in a time of 3:59.64, splitting a 57.68 for the butterfly leg of the relay to help finish in twelfth-place.FINA (18 December 2022). "16th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) Melbourne (AUS): Women's 4x100m Medley Relay Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
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