Swimming stars lead Team SA’s Day 2 medal charge at Commonwealth Games

World champion Pieter Coetzé begins his bid for Commonwealth honours in the men’s 50m backstroke heats on Friday. Team South Africa’s Commonwealth Games campaigngathers momentum on Friday with athletes competing across seven sporting codes, though the strongest hopes of an opening medal haul are expected to come during the evening session in the pool. After lawn bowls opened the campaign on Thursday with Wayne Rittmuller claiming victory in the men’s singles before the women’s pairs suffered defeat, the action ramps up considerably as swimmers, boxers, gymnasts, para-athletes and wheelchair basketball players all begin their campaigns.

The spotlight will undoubtedly fall on world championPieter Coetzé. One of Team SA’s biggest gold medal hopes in Glasgow, Coetzé begins his bid for Commonwealth honours in the men’s 50m backstroke. The reigning world champion in the 100m backstroke will be expected to safely negotiate the morning heats before returning for the evening semi-finals, with compatriot Ruard van Renen also aiming to progress.

South Africa will also have strong representation in the women’s 50m butterfly, where Commonwealth medallist Erin Gallagher headlines a trio that includes Caitlin de Lange and Jessica Thompson. Gallagher will be among the favourites to secure a lane in the evening semi-finals. The men’s 100m breaststroke promises another intriguing battle, with experienced campaigners Michael Houlie and Chris Smith both looking to progress through the heats before returning for the semi-finals later in the day.

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The evening session could also see South Africa challenging for its first medals of the Games. Kris Mihaylov will target a place in the men’s 200m individual medley final, while Hannah Robertson and Duné Coetzee will look to qualify for the women’s 400m freestyle final. Hannah Pearse will also be hoping to feature in the women’s 200m backstroke final, while South Africa’s men’s and women’s 4x100m freestyle relay teams will be aiming to secure podium finishes should they advance.

The para-swimming programme also gets under way, with Nathan Hendricks contesting the men’s S13 100m freestyle, while Alani Ferreira and Danika Vyncke line up in the women’s S13 100m freestyle. All three will be hoping to book places in their respective evening finals. Away from the pool, Simamkele Damesi launches South Africa’s boxing campaign against Mauritius’ Ziggy Agathe in the round of 32 of the men’s 65kg division, while Daniel McLean begins his artistic gymnastics challenge in the qualification rounds.

On the greens, Rittmuller will look to build on his winning start in the men’s singles against Norfolk’s Mitchell Graham, while Jacquelyn Janse van Rensburg and Elinah Muvhango continue their women’s pairs campaign against India. Princess Schroeder and Keith Orrell also open their para lawn bowls campaign with group-stage matches against Scotland and Australia. Team SA’s women will round off the day’s action on the basketball court when they face Canada in their opening 3×3 wheelchair basketball fixture.

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