EXCLUSIVE: R165k bonus and a world record | Pieter Coetzé opens up on " crazy" Tashkent swim
After out-touching world-record holder Isaac Cooper and series leader Egor Kornev in Uzbekistan, 22-year-old Pieter Coetzé admits he was caught off guard by his sensational 50m backstroke victory.
Pieter Coetzé, the world and Commonwealth Games champion, shattered the world record in the men's 50m backstroke during Day 2 of the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup in Tashkent. The 22-year-old South African completed the 50-meter race in 22.09 seconds, shaving off 0.02 seconds from the previous record set by Kliment Kolesnikov in 2022.
Coetzé, who finished second to the wall, admitted that the enormity of the achievement didn't sink in until he saw the time displayed on the scoreboard. He admitted that the field was stacked with strong competitors, including world-record holder Isaac Cooper. Despite the stiff competition, Coetzé maintained his focus, stating that his mindset at this elite level remains consistent, as everyone is consistently close to one another.
Coetzé's performance marks a half-second improvement over his previous continental record of 22.51, achieved just six days earlier during the opening leg in Baku, Azerbaijan. The victory solidifies Coetzé's position as a top contender for the overall World Cup series title as the three-week Asian tour progresses to its final stop in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
