In the steamy, churning waters of Singapore, where even seasoned swimmers were tested by heat and hazard, a quiet current of South African resilience surged beneath the surface of the World Aquatics Championships. While Pieter Coetzé and Kaylene Corbett made ripples in the pool with four medals between them, it was 19-year-old open water swimmer Callan Lotter who navigated the choppiest of seas to emerge as South Africa’s breakout tide-turner beyond the lanes.
Lotter, slicing through the punishing 31-degree currents, finished 16th in the 5km, 10km and inaugural 3km knockout swim—a steady stroke forward from the 29th place she logged in Doha last year.
This was one of the hardest 10km races I had ever swum in my life, with the 31 degrees warm water and huge waves. My body started cramping up early in the race. I knew that it was going to be a long race, and I am extremely proud of myself in how I overcame this.
What makes her performance more compelling is that it wasn’t buoyed by luck but steered by preparation. A month earlier, Lotter had made waves in Portugal’s Setúbal leg of the World Cup, placing 13th in the 10km and 11th in the 3km knockout, giving her the propulsion to enter Singapore with belief rather than bravado.
I knew I was capable of coming in the top 20 or even better. I had done all the training that I could have to the best of my abilities. I was confident in my abilities going into the competition and I am proud of the outcome.
With Olympic dreams on the horizon, Lotter’s performance wasn’t just a stroke of progress—it was a powerful undercurrent of potential.
This competition boosted my experience and racing on the international stage, which helps me prepare for more World Championships and the Olympics. I try to learn as much as possible from each race and use the experience in my future racing. It makes me more determined to swim and compete with the best open water swimmers in the world.
Diving in the Deep End
Over in the springboards and platforms, Zalika Methula and Bailey Heydra teamed up in the synchronised 3m springboard, finishing 14th, despite limited time together. Like trying to synchronise sea otters from separate shores, the pair relied more on instinct and trust than polished routine.
Competing synchro with a partner I don’t train with can be challenging, but we try not to focus on what we can’t control and rather on how fast we can adapt and trust each other when competing.
Water Polo’s Rough Draw
In the aquatic battlefield of water polo, the South African teams found themselves swimming against the strongest of currents. The women’s team, pooled with Olympic champions Spain, as well as France and Great Britain, secured 15th place, with their sole victory—a spirited 8–4 win over host nation Singapore—offering a glimmer of momentum.
This game was a nice reminder that all our hard work does pay off, and we just trust in the process now. Every tournament, we’re just going to improve better and better, so at least we can see a good foundation. The only way is up from here.
The men’s team, caught in similarly fierce waters, finished 16th.
Artistic Swimmers Keep Afloat
In the realm of artistic swimming—part ballet, part breath-hold—Xera Vegter Maharajh showed composure and poise in the face of a tidal wave of setbacks, placing 26th in the solo free routine and 33rd in the solo technical routine.
I was happy with my performances in both technical and free solos. Coming into the competition, I was quite nervous as this was my first time competing internationally under the new judging system, while most of my competitors have been to competitions under this system since late 2022.
Her routines, disrupted by a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, and music licensing issues, were nevertheless “free of base marks”—a technical triumph, if not a podium one.
Although I would’ve liked to have achieved a higher score and ranking, I was happy that I could compete considering my recent injuries. Overall, the experience in Singapore was positive, and I left with motivation to keep working for future competitions.
