Do you make these mistakes in freestyle?
The water is your friend… You don’t have to fight it… It will help you move. – Alexandr Popov In my time doing underwater video analysis (which has spanned over 13 years) I have found that the majority of competitive swimmers, irrespective of age or level, make similar mistakes. They don’t necessarily make all […]
What lies beneath the surface is the most important…
You Don’t Know What You Doing. “Guessing a thing aint knowing a thing” – Patrick Ness Most swimming coaches can stand poolside and develop a fairly good idea of what their swimmers are doing or not doing. Although experience improves this ability, what often gets forgotten is the fact that much of this is based […]
Attack the Walls: The Importance of Turns in Swimming.
Every competitive swimmer knows the importance of turns in racing. But it’s not just the turn itself that can hugely impact race time. The approach to the turn sometimes has an even bigger effect and is ironically often the area of the race where swimmers pay the least attention to detail, choosing rather to […]
Quick-fire questions with Martin Binedell.
VS. caught up with Martin to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on his training and how he is coping: Are you happy and healthy so far in the lockdown, or are you going a little crazy? I am healthy and happy. Not to say I don’t miss the pool, I’ve just found […]
Quick-fire questions with Douglas Erasmus
VS. caught up with Doug to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on his training and how he is coping: Are you happy and healthy so far in the lockdown, or are you going a little crazy? Yes, I am definitely healthy and happy, but would be lying to you if I said I […]
Quick-fire questions with Tatjana Schoenmaker
South African swimming sensation, Tatjana Schoenmaker, is quickly becoming a household name as she continues to push boundaries, get faster and faster and trailblaze for women’s sport in SA. In 2019 she was named Sports Star of the Year as well as Sportswoman of the Year at the prestigious South African Sports Awards after […]
Quick-fire questions with Linda de Jager
No one avoids the limelight as avidly as Linda de Jager. This top South African swimming coach from TUKS (University of Pretoria) has earned recognition through her endless dedication to the sport and regular production of top performers. Renowned for her prowess with age-groupers and female swimmers, Linda continues to challenge expectations and has emerged […]
Quick-fire questions with Claire Arnott (Rolt).
Claire Arnott, nee Rolt, is an experienced sport scientist and strength and conditioning coach at the University of Pretoria’s Sport, Exercise, Medicine, and Lifestyle Institute (SEMLI). As an accomplished swimmer herself (and still a dominant competitor in Master swimming), her passion for swimming and performance is unwavering. Her expertise is pivotal in the […]
Quick-fire questions with Rocco Meiring.
In South African swimming circles, Rocco Meiring is a force to be reckoned with. He is the head coach at the University of Pretoria (TUKS) and coach to 200m Breaststroker Tatjana Schoenmaker (2018 Commonwealth gold medalist and 2019 World Championships silver medalist). He is widely respected by coaches and swimmers alike. VS. caught up with […]
Quick-fire questions with Dune Coetzee.
Dune Coetzee (17) is a top South African swimmer who competes out of the University of Pretoria (TUKS). She won the 400m freestyle and 200m butterfly events at the 2019 South African National Championships and placed eighth in the 200m butterfly at the 2019 World Juniors. She also competed for Team South Africa at the […]