Van der Burgh strikes gold in Rome
The South African Swimming Team continue with their Olympic preparations this week as they take part in the Sette Colli Championships in Rome, Italy.
Having won a total of 19 medals (10 gold, five silver and four bronze) during the Mare Nostrum Series in Barcelona, Canet and Monte Carlo, the team added an addition gold medal on the opening day of the Sette Colli on Thursday night.
Pretoria's Cameron van der Burgh was once again in top form, winning the 100m breaststroke race in a golden 1:01.06 ahead of Italy's Fabio Scozzoli (1:01.54) and Germany's Marco Koch (1:01.84).
Van der Burgh was victorious on two occasions at the Mare Nostrum Series in Barcelona, winning both the 50 and 100m breaststroke events, breaking the Championship Record in the 100m race in 59.73 and was named 'Male Swimming of the Event'.
During the Mare Nostrum events over the past two weeks, Karin Prinsloo collected four medals, silver in the 100 (New SA Record) and 200m backstroke in Barcelona, bronze in the 200m backstroke in Canet and a bronze in the 100m backstroke in Monte Carlo.
Golden boy Chad le Clos claimed two gold medals in the 200m individual medley and 200m butterfly in Canet and later in the competition added three more in Monte Carlo in the 200m individual medley and butterfly as well as the 100m butterfly.
The young talent of Devon Brown was on display in two of the Series events, where he won bronze and silver in Barcelona, in the 400m and 1 500m freestyle respectively, with great improvement in Canet where he grabbed gold in both races.
Charl Crous scooped the silver medal in the 100m backstroke in Barcelona and the bronze in Monte Carlo, while Darren Murray took home the gold in the 200m backstroke in Monte Carlo with Kathryn Meaklim winning the silver in the 200m individual medley.
Following the conclusion of the Sette Colli Championships on 16th June, the SA Swimming Team will be heading to a training camp in Pescara (18 June - 8 July) before they move on to the final Pre-Olympic Training Camp in Monaco from 8 - 22 July.
