Charlene Wittstock's Education & Swimming Career

[iceflower]

.

Please stay respectful towars each other - as always opinions can differ!

 

[LadyFinn]

Btw, there is so much fuss here on CW achievements that I became curious about how and where they took place. I went through the 15 pages on this thread and couldn´t find a link, picture, statement, other than wikipedia, that assured CW had won medals or championships. Could any oCharlene Wittstock | Who's Who SAf you provide believable links? I would appreciate it.

You can search Charlene's results at Commonwealth Games here, this page doesn't allow to make a direct link, but write Wittstock to the search. You will see Charlene's single results and her winning silver at the relay in 2002.
Commonwealth Games Federation - Search Atheletes, Games, Countries, Medals and Games Results

Charlene's three gold medals in swimming World Cup 2002 are mentioned at the official site of the Palace of Monaco.
Biographical details for Ms. Charlene Lynette Wittstock - Prince’s Palace of Monaco

 

[Smush]

Interesting links, thank you for posting!

 

[JessRulz]

Btw, there is so much fuss here on CW achievements that I became curious about how and where they took place. I went through the 15 pages on this thread and couldn´t find a link, picture, statement, other than wikipedia, that assured CW had won medals or championships. Could any of you provide believable links? I would appreciate it.

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Charlene was a member of the silver-medal winning 4x100m medley relay South African team (screen cap of Comm Games website with details). Here is a photo of the relay team with their silver medal - Charlene is on the left.

While she was not the overall 2002-2003 SC World Cup meet winner, Charlene placed first in the 100m backstroke at the Melbourne meet held in December 2002 (final timing sheet) and place second in the 200m backstroke (final timing sheet). Same with the 2001-2002 SC World Cup meet, she didn't win the overall meet, but came first in the 200m backstroke at the Stockholm meet (final timing sheet).

The winners of each individual event do not get a medal, instead they receive prize money and points to go towards their position on the overall World Cup meet leader board. This is how these World Cup meets are run now, I'm not 100% sure if they were run the same way when Charlene competed, or if each winner actually got a medal.

This website provides a list of all the various meets that Charlene participated in, when you click on the location it will take you to a list of the various events (typically scroll all the way down for 'Wittstock' as it's listed alphabetically) and the results.

 

[Warren]

I can't believe my asking if she got a medal has turned into this.

Really? Don't be disingenuous. What you actually posted [at #273] was "Did Charlene even win a medal?! ... If you don't get a medal ... then your [sic] just one of thousands who showed up, competed, lost and went on to party."

Not quite the innocent "Did Charlene win a medal?" question you're now making it out to be.
.

 

[marlene]

Right on Warren!!!You said it beautifully.

 

[EIIR]

What did Charlene do career-wise after she gave up competitive swimming? What did she study at university?

 

[NGalitzine]

She did not go to university.
As far as I know she continued with her swim career, on and off due to injuries, until finally retiring in 2008 when she failed to make the SA Olympic team in 2008. She had regained her national championship in backstroke in 2007 but was not chosen for the 2008 team. By that time she was involved with Albert and the rest you probably know......Princess Consort of Monaco.

 

[sophie25]

She did not go to university.
As far as I know she continued with her swim career, on and off due to injuries, until finally retiring in 2008 when she failed to make the SA Olympic team in 2008. She has regained her national championship in backstroke in 2007 but was not chosen for the 2008 team. By that time she was involved with Albert and the rest you probably know......Princess Consort of Monaco.

Wouldn't even have bothered answering that question if I wad you I think the person asking already knew the answer and asked it to make a point.

 

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Really? Don't be disingenuous. What you actually posted [at #273] was "Did Charlene even win a medal?! ... If you don't get a medal ... then your [sic] just one of thousands who showed up, competed, lost and went on to party."

Not quite the innocent "Did Charlene win a medal?" question you're now making it out to be.
.

So you're ignoring the fact that I actually asked the question DID SHE WIN A FREAKIN MEDAL! The answer is no, she placed 5th at her highest, which indeed makes her just like the other 98% who went competed but didnt win. Whatever I'm done with this crap. I said what I said and I meant it. That she made it 5th is better than being 10th or 24th.
It's an achievement but not placing is relevant.

 

[EIIR]

Wouldn't even have bothered answering that question if I wad you I think the person asking already knew the answer and asked it to make a point.

Lucky me then that NGalitzine is so well mannered as to answer a genuine question. I was on my mobile if you must know and just couldn't be bothered to go looking for the information. God forbid I should ask a question of others with more knowledge than me.

 

[rosana]

At the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, Charlene was a member of the silver-medal winning 4x100m medley relay South African team (screen cap of Comm Games website with details). Here is a photo of the relay team with their silver medal - Charlene is on the left.

Thank you all for the links!! I had never seen her with a medal (in a team, well, better than nothing, that´s something). But where are the 3 golden medals the palace states she won?
There should be some pics around.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Thank you all for the links!! I had never seen her with a medal (in a team, well, better than nothing, that´s something). But where are the 3 golden medals the palace states she won?
There should be some pics around.

Actually the Palace has it as 4 Gold, and one Silver.

I wrote some of the info on Charlene's Wikipedia page about her swimming career and it came directly from Rocco Meiring the National Coaching Director of the South African Swimming federation from 1998 to 2005. He was one of her coaches and stated "she struggled with chronic injuries which restricted her from competing from May 2004 to December 2004." One of those injuries was her shoulder that continued to give her trouble up until the time she decided to quit.

All you needed to do was look for the photo to see the GOLD MEDAL hanging around her neck. BTW this one isn't on the list the Palace has so the total count would be 5.
Photo caption reads

11 September 1999, South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock is the first swimmer to win gold at this years All Africa Games. She won the womens 100 metres freestyle this afternoon.

 

[COUNTESS]

Are we lost in translation here? I´m not an English native speaker, but still...I don´t know what you understand by "achievement", this is what I found, If you have a better definition please provide it.

1: the act of achieving : accomplishment
2
a : a result gained by effort
b : a great or heroic deed

3: the quality and quantity of a student's work



Examples:

1. The discovery of DNA was a major scientific achievement.
2. It was a great achievement.
3. Getting the project done on time was a real achievement

Achievement - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary



Participating in Olympics is a merit and an honor after having done a great effort, but it is hardly an accomplishment/achievement. In the case of an Oscar nominee much less. I dont think they have in mind to be nominated while they are shooting, so how´can it be considered an achievement if we understand by the definition it is an action, a goal to be completed!???

As for CW leaving her career, she did nothing substantial after that.

When a Special Olympian reaches the finishes line it is an achievement. When a young child learns to spell or write,properly, it is an achievement. Winning a gold at the All Africa Games is an achievement. And being able to swim faster than a good part of the world for an Olympic Sport is an achievement. Achievements come big and small. That you write English as well as you do is an achievement.

Swimming, is hardly a career. It is a sport and unlike basketball or baseball, no one pays money to watch swimmers. It is not that type of sport.

What have Caroline, Stephanie, Camilla or Kate to name a few have done? No royal works. Cutting ribbons and going to balls is not work. My definition.

 

[JessRulz]

Thank you all for the links!! I had never seen her with a medal (in a team, well, better than nothing, that´s something). But where are the 3 golden medals the palace states she won?
There should be some pics around.

See this is where I'm not 100% sure. The bio states that she won "three gold medals at the swimming World Cup" in 2002. The 2002 SC World Cup was held in Russia in April '02, where Charlene only made one final - the 4x100m medley relay, where South Africa placed fifth (final timing sheet).

They might mean the 2002-2003 SC World Cup series, which like I said, is a series of meets held in a year. Points are awarded for the swimmers who make the final of each event, which go towards their overall World Cup points total (Charlene never won the overall). No relays are undertaken at these World Cups.

The palace may have merged the 2001-2002 and 2002-2003 World Cups to just be '2002'; Charlene placed first in the following events at these two World Cup series, which may be the bio's "three gold medals":

• 100m backstroke in Melbourne (01-02) (final timing sheet)
• 200m backstroke in Stockholm (01-02) (final timing sheet)
• 100m backstroke in Melbourne (02-03) (final timing sheet)

However, to my knowledge, today the winners of each individual event do not get a medal (instead, prize money and points towards the overall leader board). FINA may have awarded medals for each winner when Charlene was competing, but I can't say for certain (I will try and find out though). The palace may have assumed because she placed first in these events, she got a medal.

The bio also lists her as having won the 50m and 100m crawl, which is freestyle (unless they mean 'back crawl', which would be backstroke). Charlene was a backstroke swimmer, not a freestyle swimmer and her name appears on none of the timing sheets for any freestyle event. So, the palace has made a mistake there either way - either by being wrong, or by not being specific enough.

She did win the 200m backstroke in the 2000 Mare Nostrum meet in Monte-Carlo, as the palace states (final results).

Finding pictures of some of these events (particularly the World Cup series) may be difficult - the image I posted of Charlene at the 2002 Comm Games was the only one I could find, and that was a major international sporting event.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

The bio also lists her as having won the 50m and 100m crawl, which is freestyle (unless they mean 'back crawl', which would be backstroke). Charlene was a backstroke swimmer, not a freestyle swimmer and her name appears on none of the timing sheets for any freestyle event. So, the palace has made a mistake there either way - either by being wrong, or by not being specific enough.

Photo caption

1 September 1999, South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock swimming freestyle

Getty Images

Commonwealth Games Silver medalist

 

[rosana]

When a Special Olympian reaches the finishes line it is an achievement. When a young child learns to spell or write,properly, it is an achievement. Winning a gold at the All Africa Games is an achievement. And being able to swim faster than a good part of the world for an Olympic Sport is an achievement. Achievements come big and small. That you write English as well as you do is an achievement.

Swimming, is hardly a career. It is a sport and unlike basketball or baseball, no one pays money to watch swimmers. It is not that type of sport.

What have Caroline, Stephanie, Camilla or Kate to name a few have done? No royal works. Cutting ribbons and going to balls is not work. My definition.

It is a widespread concept that royals "do not work". Just enjoy. I am not entirely sure since we never got to know exactly what their duties consist of in the patronages and charities they represent. They probably study, read, familiarize, probably don´t. Camilla and esp. P Anne do represent many of these and I assume it takes a lot of "work" or hours a day. Same with Caroline.
I have a special sympathy for Stephanie because she tried other things in which she was not successful, she was lost between fashion and music, she even opened a store. And I´d better not start with Charlene and Kate. I do not consider that training 3/4 hours a day is a job. Most of Argentinian Olimpians have a job because they got so little support from the government.

Thanks for the info Jessluz

 

[JessRulz]

Photo caption Getty Images

1 September 1999, South African swimmer Charlene Wittstock swimming freestyle

Commonwealth Games Silver medalist

I wonder how often she actually competed in freestyle later in her career (after 2000), (according to the other photo caption at Getty, she won the 100m freestyle at the 1999 All Africa Games).

She does not appear on any freestyle time sheets in relation to the dates (2001/2002) the palace claims she won those events in, so they have not been specific enough (calling it 'crawl' instead of 'back crawl'/backstroke). So while she did competitively swim freestyle at some point, during this period, she did not.

 

[melina premiere]

In my post 265, I send you photos and an article about the races where she won a medal.
On Getty images site, you click -Charlène Wittstock in 1997, 1998, and so in the case and you will get photos of Charlene in different races during the year you want to see, it is not so difficult, I think.
If there were Andrea or Charlotte or Pierre, some people would have kiss the water of the pool, She is the usurpater also all about Charlene is to critic, the career, the swimming, the interview( the last interview on CNN with Piers Morgan was fine, but nobody is speaking) from the beginning in 2006 by the same people.
These comments begin to be boring, we are turning in round as we are saying in my country

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Charlene has by no means been a superstar of swimming like Kirsty Coventry or her Australian or US counterparts.

Still, if I was good enough to be taking part in the Olympics in whatever category I would be proud as hell for the rest of my life. Of course its an achievement. There is nothing bigger than the Olympics.

The Jamaican bobsled team comes to my mind. It doesnt matter where you finish or win a medal (unless you are Michael Phelps) the main thing is to participate. I'd be one of those who had a tattoo of the five rings done and proudly wear it, no doubt about that!

 

[COUNTESS]

You made my day with the Jamaican Bobsled team. They knew they had no chance, but they tried.

As for Royals working, some are deligent in their charity work, others just lend their names. Before marrying Charles, what did Camilla do, since you are so interested in what Charlene did.

 

[FanofMonaco]

Olympic athletes are in the top 1% in the world. Actually must higher than that. There are 6 billion people worldwide. 1% is 60 million.I think there are about 10,000 Olympians this summer. If that isn't an achievement, I don't know what is.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

I'm still looking for more. Medals are given at many of these events.

South Africa Announces Olympic squad -- April 11, 2000 Swimming World Magazine

This is a list from Swimming World Magazine

Heat 1 Prelims 4 Charlene Wittstock WORLD 28.37 October 21, 2001

November 18, 2001

The 24-year-old then backed up to win the 200m backstroke in a time of 2:08.42, just edging out South African Olympian Charlene Wittstock (South African record 2:09.12) with fellow American Diana MacManus third (2:10.28).

Women's 50 meter backstroke
1. Diana MacManus, USA 28.34
2. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 28.47
3. Sophie Edington, AUS 28.66

Women's 200 meter backstroke
1. Lindsay Benko, USA 2:08.42
2. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 2:09.12
3. Diana Macmanus, USA 2:10.28

November 19, 2001

Women's 100 meter backstroke
1. Diana Macmanus, USA 1:00.76
2. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 1:00.83
3. Frances Adcock, AUS 1:00.99

December 6, 2001

Australian, Clementine Stoney and South African, Charlene Wittstock contested the final with Stoney too strong in dominating the last 50 metres to take victory along with AUS$5000 reasons to be elated with her performance. Stoney's opening 50m was actually a personal best time of 30.26 and she backed up with 30.59, 30.87 and sealed the victory and the cash in 30.42.

December 7, 2001 Day one

Australian Clementine Stoney put in another solid performance in the 200m backstroke final winning in the time of 2:06.80. Charlene Wittstock from South Africa was second in 2:09.80 with American Lindsay Benko third in 2:10.63.

Women's 200 metres backstroke
1. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 2:06.80
2. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2:09.80
3. Lindsay Benko (USA) 2:10.63

December 8, 2001 Day 2

Women's 100 metres backstroke
1. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 1:00.16
2. Janine Pietsch (GER) 1:00.25
3. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 1:00.58

December 9, 2001 Day 3

Women's 50 metres backstroke
1. Janine Pietsch (GER) 28.00
2. Diane Bui Duyet (FRA) 28.39
3. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 28.43

Quote from the Palace website

In 2002, she won three gold medals at the swimming World Cup (50m and 100m crawl, 4x100m relay) and the silver medal during the Manchester Commonwealth Games (4x100m medley relay).

World Cup VIII meet in Stockholm, Sweden.

January 22, 2002

50 meter backstroke
1. Jennifer Carroll, CAN 27.31 NR
2. Haley Cope, USA 27.64
3. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 28.16

200 meter backstroke
1. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 2:09.74
2. Esther Baron, FRA 2:10.19
3. Melissa Morgan, AUS 2:11.41

January 23, 2002

100 meter backstroke
1. Haley Cope, USA 0:59.66
2. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 1:00.25
3. Jennifer Carroll, CAN 1:00.30

Berlin World Cup Meet -- January 26, 2002

200 meter backstroke
1. Lindsay Benko, USA 2:06.86
2. Antje Buschschulte, GER 2:08.18
3. Charlene Wittstock, RSA 2:09.82

Short Course World Championships -- April 3, 2002

Women's 100 meter backstroke (topt 16 qualify for semifinals)
1. Jennifer Carroll (CAN) 1:00.22
2. Louise Ornstedt (DEN) 1:00.29
3. Diana MacManus (USA) 1:00.41
4. Irina Amshennikova (UKR) 1:00.46
5. Zhan Shu (CHN) 1:00.54
6. Haley Cope (USA) 1:00.60
7. Ilona Hlavackova (CZE) 1:00.63
8. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 1:00.75
9. Anna Gostomelsky (ISR) 1:00.76
10. Hanae Ito (JPN) 1:00.81
11. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 1:00.83

April 5, 2002
Women's 4x100 meter medley relay (top eight qualify for final)

1. Sweden 4:00.40
2. United States 4:00.66
3. South Africa 4:03.54

Women's 200 meter backstroke (top eight qualify for final)
1. Lindsay Benko (USA) 2:06.55
2. Clementine Stoney (AUS) 2:08.35
3. Reiko Nakamura (JPN) 2:08.51
4. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2:08.79

Palace website the silver medal during the Manchester Commonwealth Games (4x100m medley relay).

MANCHESTER Commonwealth Games -- August 1, 2002

Day 3 August

Women's 100 meter backstroke

1. Sarah Price (ENG) 1:01.06 CGR, n
2. Dyana Calub (AUS) 1:01.86
3. Giaan Rooney (AUS) 1:02.22
4. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 1:02.42 n

Women's 50m Backstroke
5 1 WITTSTOCK Charlene Lynette
South Africa (RSA) 29.18


FINA World Cup Tour Begins in Rio -- November 16, 2002
South Africa's Charlene Wittstock, second in the 50 back, took the 200 in 2:08.98, less than a second ahead of the USA's Pam Hanson.

50 metres backstroke
1. Haley Cope (USA) 27.77
2. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 28.00

200 metres backstroke
1. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2.08.98

South African National Swimming Championships April 14, 2003

Other swimmers qualifying for Worlds included South Africa's teenage workhorse Melissa Corfe, who took five national titles in winning the 200/400/800/1500 frees, and 200 back, only the latter of which was fast enough to qualify for Worlds. In that event, Corfe got the better of backstroke mainstay Charlene Wittstock, winning in 2:14.90 to Wittstock's 2:15.10. Wittstock also qualified for Worlds in the 50/100 back, taking those titles in 29.56 and 1:02.56 respectively.

South African World Cup Meet -- December 3, 2003

200m backstroke women
1. Melissa Corfe (RSA) 2:10.50
2. Da-Hye Lee (KOR) 2:11.07
3. Charlene Wittstock (RSA) 2:11.13.

South African Olympic Trials -- April 16, 2004

In contrast, the 200 back looks to be a fast race with Melissa Corfe first to the wall tonight in 2:15.46. She appears to have Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry's African record of 2:12.47 in her sights. Second fastest tonight was Charlene Wittstock in 2:17.02.

Day Two of South African Trials -- April 18, 2004

Silver went to stalwart Charlene Wittstock (CGA) in a time of 26.63 while the 14-year-old Tanya Strydom (KZN) (26.73) once again put up her hand with a solid performance.

Day Three of the South African Trials -- April 19, 2004

The 50m backstroke semis followed.

Charlene Wittstock (CGA) posted a 29.48 to head up the seeding for tomorrow nights final. Renate du Plessis (WP) (30.02), Romina Armellini (CGA) (30.08), Monique Malan (30,27) and Romy Altman (WP) (30.66) are all in the mix and some exciting racing is predicted.

South African Trials: Fast Times on the Final Night -- April 22, 2004

The ladies' 100m backstroke was exciting but not fast. Charlene Wittstock tried her best to get close to the 1:02,42 standard but her 1:03,17 was a tad off the pace and will now have to sit back and reflect on what might have been, her Athens dreams in tatters.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

It wouldn't fit into one post.

1999 All-Africa Games
Gold for 100m Freestyle and 100m Backstroke

100m Freestyle Charlene Wittstock
South Africa 57.46
100m Backstroke Charlene Wittstock
South Africa 1:04.31
Silver for

4x100m Free Relayw2
Charlene Wittstock,
Stacey Bowley,
Candice Crafford,
Kim van Selm 3:54.31

Relay record falls to Seagulls 2000-10-07 22:03

Wittstock teamed up with Candice Crafford, Lauren Howell and Melissa Corfe for a time of eight minutes, 29.86 seconds in winning the women's 4x200m freestyle relay event, improving a four-year-old record.
Women 800m freestyle relay: 1 Mr Price Seagulls (Candice Crafford, Lauren Howell, Melissa Corfe, Charlene Wittstock) 8:29.86, 2 Seals KZN 8:33.09, 3 Vineyard WP 8:34.00.

News 24 from SA

Africa record for Whittstock

Anyone who wants more information on Charlene's swimming career is welcome to hunt the archives of SA News as I have along with others.

 

[melina premiere]

Thank you LadyMacalpine for the big work you did. thank to you, we have a more entire look on the swimming career of Charlene Wittstock.

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

Thank you LadyMacalpine for the big work you did. thank to you, we have a more entire look on the swimming career of Charlene Wittstock.

You're welcome. I spent a day working on it and still have more research to do. Keeping her career and facts about other aspects of her life straight I feel is important. I'm glad she is starting to speak French and its been in the press she has. If she is being interviewed for English speaking viewers I can see why she speaks English.

 

[melina premiere]

I found this article made in 2007 when she became again champion of SA champion backswimming

Apple of Prince Albert's eye makes a splash - South Africa | IOL News | IOL.co.za

It was not even mentioned here on the board in 2007, so many critics on her at this time on this board !

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

It was posted somewhere in a current events thread. Those critics are the reason the facts are even more important.

 

[iceflower]

That's correct, it was posted back in 2007 in this thread: Charlene Wittstock Current Events Part 9 : May 2007 - Jan.2008 (page 7)!

 

[LadyMacAlpine]

This is everything available for Charlene's swimming career from SwimNews.COM. Instead of giving you the one link to look it up I copy and pasted the info partly because I have found a lot of sites the info gets removed or the links go bad.

South Africa Champs - Day 2 September 6, 1999
In the women's 100m Indevidual Medley, Charlene Wittstock ( Seaguls) was quickest in 1:04,91

Day 3 September 7, 1999
Charlene Wittstock(Seagulls), who also raced in Sydney last week, took three gold medals on Saturday to take her championship haul to five. She won the 100m individual medley in 1:05.15, the 50m backstroke in 29.68 and the 50m freestyle in 25.91.

"I feel a little tired, but I can't afford to be too tired, I've got to race again tomorrow," said Wittstock, who won the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke on Friday night. "I've trained so hard, I expect to do all this racing."

Day 4
Charlene Wittstock (Seagulls) will be aiming for her sixth gold medal in in the 200m backstroke final.

All Africa Games - Day 1 September 12, 1999
Wittstock Causes Upset As SA Strikes Gold At Ellis Park

Charlene Wittstock, the South African with the "cover girl" looks upset Egyptian star Rania Elwani to win the women's 100m freestyle and give South Africa a golden full-house on the first day in the swimming pool at the All Africa Games in Johannesburg on Saturday.


On a bitterly cold evening at Ellis Park, the SA team warmed the partisan crowd, scooping five gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.

It was Elwani who went out at an electrifing pace to turn on 27.04 at the 50 mark with Wittstock, Bowley and Moodey in a group about a half a body lenght behind her. All three came off the turn hard and started closing in on a tiring Elwani. Wittstock, the third fastest in the heats, surged past Elwani the final 10m to touch first in 57.46 seconds. Zimbabwe's Teresa Moodie finished second in 58.04 and Elwani, the Africa record-holder, was third in 58.12 narowly outtouching South African, Stacey Bowley in 58.13.

"I was actually shaking after the race," said an overjoyed 21-year-old Wittstock. " I couldn't believe I'd done it. I was looking at my coach and I don't think he could believe it either," she said . "The more I think about it the more I think 'wow'. She (Elwani) has never been beaten in Africa. She's the champ."

Wittstock - who will meet Elwani again in the 50m freestyle, where the Egyptian also owns the Africa record - also spoke about the near freezing conditions.

All Africa Games - Day 5 September 16, 1999
In the relay, Loots, Charlene Wittstock (Seagulls), double Olympic champion Penny Heyns (Toti) and Stacey Bowley (Seagulls) won in a Games record 4:11,57. Zimbabwe was second in 4:28.96 and Egypt third in 4:48.17.

Good Early Season Performances At Tyr Westville Sprint Gala December 12, 1999

Charlene Wittstock (Seagulls-KZN)(2:26.81)won the ladies item comfortably from All Africa Games team-mate, Bronwyn Dedekind (2:30.04)and Elzette Jordaan (Seals-KZN)(2:32.44).

In the ladies event, which also produced 5 NQT, Charlene Wittstock (58.52) dominated a race which was always going to be for the minor placings.

Day 2 Report : Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships April 5, 2000
Charlene Wittstock(KZN) (1:02.93)also set herself up for a successful defence of her 100m backstroke title on Tuesday evening with the best time of the semifinals. She finished ahead of American visitor Denali Knapp(Northern Tigers) (1:03.02) and Zimbabwean Olympic hope Kirsty Coventry (1:04.30).

Day 3 Report : Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships
Charlene Wittstock had left her best effort behind in the semifinal, where she achieved the Olympic qualifying standard with a 1:02.93.

On Tuesday night she was always having to chase visiting American Denali Knapp, who touched first in 1:02.79 to Wittstock's 1:03.52.

Day 6 Report : Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships

Muller, after clocking two continental records each in the 200m and 100m freestyle, managed an incredible fifth one in the shorter race, where she streaked to victory in 55.82. Despite her electrifying start, the pack was snapping at he heels and it was national surf life saving captain, Stacey Bowley (KZN) (56.77) who got ahead to take the silver from provincial team mate Charlene Wittstock (57.25) and Zimbabwean Kirsty Coventry (57.35). "I've just looked to improve the whole week. I want to go out and compete with the rest of the world."

Mandy Loots (CGA) (2:19.90) looks set for an exciting tussle with American visitor Denali Knapp (Northern Tigers) (2:20.34) and Charlene Wittstock (KZN) (2:23.10) for the ladies 200m Backstroke title on Saturday evening.

Day 7 Report : Telkom SA National Aquatic Championships
American Denali Knapp (Northern Tigers) won the women's 200m backstroke, but second-placed Charlene Wittstock (KZN) (2:17.32) took the SA title, beating Mandy Loots (CGA) (2:19.37) into third place.