Pieter Coetze

Pieter Theunis Coetze (born 13 May 2004) is a South African swimmer. He is the African record holder in the long course and short course 100 metre backstroke and short course 50 metre backstroke. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he won the gold medal in the 100 metre backstroke, the silver medal in the 50 metre backstroke, and the bronze medal in the 200 metre backstroke. At the 2022 World Junior Championships, he competed in ten events, including winning the gold medal in the 200 metre backstroke, silver medals in the 50 metre backstroke, 100 metre backstroke, and the 4×100 metre medley relay, as well as a bronze medal in the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay.

Career For the 2019 World Junior Championships, held at Danube Arena in Budapest, Hungary in August, Coetze placed ninth in the 50 metre backstroke, tenth in the 4×100 metre medley relay, 15th in the mixed 4×100 metre medley relay, 27th in the 100 metre backstroke, and 29th in the 200 metre backstroke.FINA (25 August 2019). "7th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2019 Budapest (HUN): Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 21 May 2022. In the 100 metre backstroke preliminary heats at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, he placed 24th with a time of 54.05 seconds."2020 Summer Olympics Results - Swimming: Men's 100m Backstroke". ESPN. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022. Later in the year, at the 2021 Swimming World Cup stop in Doha, Qatar in October, and conducted in short course metres, he won gold medals in the 200 metre backstroke with a 1:52.09, in the 50 metre backstroke in a time of 23.13 seconds, in the 100 metre backstroke in 50.86 seconds, placed fifth in the 100 metre individual medley, and placed 12th in the 50 metre butterfly.FINA (23 October 2021). "FINA Swimming World Cup 2021 Doha (QAT): Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 9 April 2022.

2022 South Africa National Championships At the South Africa National Swimming Championships in April 2022, Coetze swam a time of 53.96 seconds in the 100 metre backstroke in the prelims heats, achieving a qualifying time for both the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2022 World Aquatics Championships before going on to win the gold medal and national title in the final.Race, Retta (6 April 2022). "Van Niekerk, Canny, Coetze Qualify For Budapest World Championships". SwimSwam. Retrieved 7 April 2022."Coetzé and Schoenmaker qualifies for Birmingham Commonwealth Games". SuperSport. 7 April 2022. Retrieved 7 April 2022. He achieved another qualifying time on the third day, this time in the 50 metre backstroke, winning the gold medal with a 24.74.SwimSA TV (8 April 2022). "National Aquatics Championships 2022 Day 3". YouTube. Retrieved 8 April 2022. Leading off the 4×50 metre freestyle relay on the fourth day, Coetze secured a qualification time in a third individual event, the 50 metre freestyle, with a time of 22.15 seconds.Jonckheere, Karien (9 April 2022). "18-year-old matric pupil stuns Olympic superstar Tatjana Schoenmaker at SA swim champs". News24. Retrieved 9 April 2022. With a time of 22.34 seconds in the final of the 50 metre freestyle on day five, he won the national title and gold medal in the event, narrowly finishing ahead of Brad Tandy by less than two-tenths of a second.Isaacson, David (10 April 2022). "Beaten Brad Tandy hands sprint baton to young Pieter Coetzé". The Herald. Retrieved 10 April 2022. On the sixth and final day of competition, he attained a fourth qualification in a time trial, swimming a 1:56.92 in the 200 metre backstroke.Isaacson, David (11 April 2022). "King Matt gathers the crowns, speedy Pieter the qualifying times". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 11 April 2022. He was named to the World Championships team in the 50 metre backstroke, 100 metre backstroke, and 200 metre backstroke."Veteran Le Clos joins teenage brigade in SA Team for swimming World Championships". Swimming South Africa. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 21 May 2022. The following month, he was named to the 2022 Commonwealth Games swim team.du Plessis, Lindsay (9 June 2022). "Le Clos, Schoenmaker named in South Africa Commonwealth Games squad". ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

2022 Commonwealth Games Ranking first in the preliminaries of the 100 metre backstroke on day one of swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held starting in July in Birmingham, England, Coetze qualified for the semifinals of the event over half a second faster than second-ranked Brodie Williams of England with his time of 53.91 seconds."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 100m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022. In the semifinals, he qualified for the final ranking first with a time of 53.67 seconds and was the only swimmer to finish the race in less than 54 seconds out of both semifinal heats."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 100m Backstroke Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022. He won the gold medal in the final with a time of 53.78 seconds, marking the second gold medal for South Africa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results". Longines. 30 July 2022. Retrieved 30 July 2022.Jonckheere, Karien (30 July 2022). "Golden double for SA swimmers in Birmingham". SuperSport. Retrieved 30 July 2022.Taylor, Craig (30 July 2022). "Van Niekerk, Coetze claim SA's first gold medals of Commonwealth Games". News24. Retrieved 30 July 2022. In the preliminaries of the 50 metre backstroke the following morning, he was the only swimmer to achieve a time faster than 25 seconds, finishing in a time of 24.95 seconds and ranking first heading into the semifinals."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 50m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. Later in the same session, he placed sixteenth in the prelims heats of the 100 metre freestyle, qualifying for the semifinals before withdrawing from further competition in the event."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 100m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022. He lowered his time by 0.14 seconds in the semifinals of the 50 metre backstroke to a 24.81, ranked first, and qualified for the event's final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 50m Backstroke Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. In the final, he finished 0.12 seconds behind gold medalist Andrew Jeffcoat of New Zealand with a 24.77 to win the silver medal."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 50m Backstroke Final Results". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022. Later in the same finals session, he anchored the 4×200 metre freestyle relay with a 1:49.86 to help achieve a sixth-place finish in 7:13.76."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 4x200m Freestyle Relay Final Results". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022."Coetze, Gallagher claim silver as Team SA finish off stellar day at Commonwealth Games". News24. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022.

On day five, Coetze ranked fourth in the preliminaries of the 200 metre backstroke, qualifying for the evening final with a time of 1:58.08."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 200m 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. In the final, he swam a personal best time of 1:56.77 and won the bronze medal."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Men's 200m Backstroke Final Results". 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. Later in the session, he swam a personal best time of 53.42 seconds for the backstroke leg of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay, to help finish fourth in an African record and South African record time of 3:44.38."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.

2022 World Junior Championships

On 28 June, Coetze was named to the official South Africa roster for the 2022 FINA World Junior Swimming Championships, held in August and September in Lima, Peru."Team Announcement – 8th FINA Junior World Swimming Championships". Swimming South Africa. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 22 August 2022. On the morning of day one, he qualified for the semifinals of the 100 metre backstroke, ranking second with a time of 53.93 seconds in the preliminaries.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 100m Backstroke Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 August 2022. Later in the prelims session, he led off the 4×100 metre freestyle relay with a personal best time of 49.75 to help qualify the relay to the final ranking seventh.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 4x100m Freestyle Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 August 2022. In the evening session, he started by setting an African record, South African record, and Championships record with a personal best time of 52.95 seconds in the semifinals of the 100 metre backstroke to qualify for the final ranking first.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 100m Backstroke Semifinals Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 August 2022.Lohn, John (30 August 2022). "World Junior Championships: Pieter Coetze Sets African Record in Semifinals of 100 Backstroke; Mio Narita Rolls in 400 IM". Swimming World. Retrieved 30 August 2022."Golden finish for Coetzé at World Junior Swimming Championships". Swimming South Africa. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2022. For the final of the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, he equalled his lead-off time of 49.75 seconds from the preliminaries, helping achieve a sixth-place finish in 3:24.09.FINA (30 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 4x100m Freestyle Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 30 August 2022. The following morning, in the preliminary heats of the 100 metre butterfly, he was disqualified for a 15 metre mark violation off of his start, that is, kicking underwater further than 15 metres after his dive.FINA (31 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 100m Butterfly Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.FINA (31 August 2022). "Day 2 | Morning Session | Heats | 8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships 2022". YouTube. Retrieved 31 August 2022. For the preliminaries of the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay, he helped advance the relay to the final ranking sixth, splitting a 53.94 for the backstroke leg of the relay and contributing to a time of 4:01.18.FINA (31 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Heats Results Summary". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022. Later in the day, he won the silver medal in the 100 metre backstroke with a 52.99 and a bronze medal in the 4×100 metre mixed medley relay, splitting a 53.31 for the backstroke portion and contributing to the final mark of 3:58.58.FINA (31 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Men's 100m Backstroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.FINA (31 August 2022). "8th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships Lima (PER): Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 31 August 2022.