Rising star Matthew Sates will lead the charge this weekend as a large South African contingent looks to make an impact when the lucrative Fina World Cup series opens with the first leg of the annual short-course campaign in Berlin.
While long-course World Championships medallist Lara van Niekerk and Olympic champion Tatjana Schoenmaker have not entered the gala, the country will be well represented with 15 swimmers in the start lists.
Defending champion
They will be spearheaded by 19-year-old Sates, who secured the overall men’s World Cup title last year after raking in 18 medals and bagging more points than any other male swimmer in the series.
The versatile young prospect will aim to become the fourth SA swimmer to win the overall title more than once, following the previous success of multiple champions Chad le Clos, Cameron van der Burgh and Ryk Neethling.
Valuable experience
The South African entries also include nine other teenagers who will be looking for valuable experience at international senior level.
The Berlin leg of the series starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday. It will be followed by two more World Cup galas to be held in Toronto between 28-30 October and Indianapolis between 3-5 November.
