World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 – Stop 1 | Baku, Azerbaijan | Day 2 – Thursday, 2 October 2026 (25m pool)
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Pieter Coetze lowered his own African short-course record in the men's 50m backstroke on the second night of the World Cup in Baku. He was one of three South Africans on the podium on a night decided by hundredths of a second.
Coetze's tied silver came alongside a silver for Michael Houlie in the men's 50m breaststroke and a bronze for Aimee Canny in the women's 100m breaststroke. That took South Africa to five medals after two days. Two more African finalists and a near miss in the men's 100m freestyle rounded out a busy evening.
Coetze goes faster than any African before him
Coetze set the tone in the morning. He topped the men's 50m backstroke heats in 22.90, the only swimmer under 23 seconds.
In the final, Russia's Egor Kornev took gold in 22.23. Coetze and Pavel Samusenko could not be separated for second, both touching in 22.51 to share silver. World record holder Kliment Kolesnikov finished fourth (22.99).
The 22.51 is a new African short-course record. It takes 0.24 seconds off Coetze's own previous mark of 22.75, set on 1 November 2024, and leaves him 0.40 outside Kolesnikov's world record of 22.11. Coetze went 0.39 faster than his own morning swim to become the fastest African in history over the distance.
Houlie three hundredths from gold
Houlie came even closer to the top step in the men's 50m breaststroke. Second-fastest in the heats (25.95), he had the quickest reaction time in the final (0.61) and clocked 25.70. That was just 0.03 seconds behind China's Haiyang Qin (25.67), leaving Houlie with silver ahead of Kirill Prigoda (25.88).
After finishing fifth in the 100m breaststroke on Day 1, the silver was a timely reward for the 26-year-old. Seventeen-year-old Riley Hemphill placed 27th in the heats in 29.47.
Canny on the podium
Canny completed South Africa's medal trio in the women's 100m breaststroke. She qualified second in the heats in 1:05.21 behind Ireland's Mona McSharry. In the final she lowered her time to 1:05.16 to take bronze, 0.03 behind Evgeniia Chikunova (1:05.13), as McSharry won in 1:04.21.
Rebecca Meder, competing under the Club Swimmers banner, finished just off the podium in fourth (1:05.52). Daena Robinson placed 12th in the heats (1:09.64). Algeria's 16-year-olds Rahma Benmahammed (14th, 1:15.48) and Kamelia Amalie Mezzaour (15th, 1:17.67) also lined up.
Brooks makes the 100m freestyle final
Guy Brooks posted the fourth-fastest time in the men's 100m freestyle heats (47.26) in a field of 43 swimmers. In the final he turned in 22.45 and finished eighth in 47.13, in a race won by Egor Kornev (44.84).
Coetze, doubling up from the backstroke, missed the ten-lane final by only 0.02 seconds, placing 11th in 47.63. Botswana's Rayhan Khonat was 23rd (48.96), Algeria's Mehdi Benfekih 29th (49.70) and South Africa's Nicholas Trower 30th (49.88). Algeria's 16-year-old Salaheddine Torki finished 32nd (50.42) and South Africa's Reuban Haylock 36th (50.92).
Caldwell fourth again
Matthew Caldwell finished fourth for the second day running, this time in the men's 1500m freestyle. He swam a disciplined, evenly paced race in 14:53.89. Belgium's Lucas Henveaux won in 14:34.98.
Lambert into a final; Coetzee just outside the medal race
Bailey Lambert, 17, was tenth in the women's 100m backstroke heats (1:02.33) and took her place in the final. There she lowered her time by 1.81 seconds to finish eighth in 1:00.52. The race was won by the Netherlands' Marrit Steenbergen in 55.17.
Dune Coetzee qualified tenth for the women's 200m freestyle final (1:57.21) and moved up a place to finish ninth in 1:56.32. Hong Kong's Siobhan Haughey won in 1:51.08. Lambert (15th, 2:03.32) and 16-year-old Shannon Hugo (16th, 2:09.53) also contested the heats. In the women's 50m butterfly, Meder was 16th (26.34) and Coetzee 20th (28.35).
Namibia and Botswana on the medley trail
Botswana's Khonat and Namibia's Corne le Roux raced side by side in the men's 200m IM, finishing 16th (2:09.86) and 17th (2:10.52) respectively. Le Roux also took on the men's 200m butterfly, a gruelling event in a quality field, and placed 13th in 2:04.65.
Algerian backstrokers keep learning
Algeria's backstroke pairing returned in the men's 50m backstroke heats, the same event in which Coetze set his record. Moncef Benbara placed 25th (26.26) and 16-year-old Houd Abed 27th (27.07), giving the youngster another day of racing in a field led by the world's best.
Looking Ahead to Day 3
The final day offers Coetze the chance to complete a backstroke sweep in the 100m. Brooks and Caldwell target the 200m freestyle, and Canny and Meder go again in the 50m breaststroke and 200m IM. Lambert races the 200m backstroke, while Dune Coetzee and Hugo tackle the 800m freestyle.
African Medal Table – After Day 2 (Cumulative)
| Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Algeria | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Botswana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Namibia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Day 2 African medallists: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – Silver (tie), Men's 50m Backstroke, 22.51 AR | Michael Houlie (RSA) – Silver, Men's 50m Breaststroke, 25.70 | Aimee Canny (RSA) – Bronze, Women's 100m Breaststroke, 1:05.16
African record set on Day 2: Men's 50m Backstroke (SC) – 22.51, Pieter Coetze (RSA). Previous: 22.75, Pieter Coetze, 1 November 2024.
Photo Credit: World Aquatics
