#TuksSwimming: Pieter Coetzé says his never give up attitude helped him qualify for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Posted on April 14, 2021

If you don't succeed at first . . . try . . . try again - is what Pieter Coetzé was about during the 2021 South African National Aquatic Championships in Newton Park, Gqeberha.

The 16-year-old Tuks swimmer reaped the reward in the end. He qualified in the 100m-backstroke for the Tokyo Olympic Games. Coetzé might be the youngest South African male swimmer to represent South Africa at the Olympics. Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh were 20 when they did so. 

Over the past days in Gqeberha, the Tuks swimmer became the "poster boy" for what determination should be about. He "failed" five times to qualify for the Games. Twice in the 200m-backstroke and three times in the 100m-backstroke.

His challenge had been to swim 53.85s in the 100m-backstroke and 1:57.50 in the 200m-backstroke. His battle with the stopwatch over 100 metres became one of the dramas of the championships. 

Saturday morning during the 100m-heats, he swam 54.11s, a mere 0.26s slower than he needed to qualify. His time in the final was 54.25s. It could have been faster if he had not slipped. 

The 1.97m swimmer's quest was from over. He was at it again, doing a 100-metre time trial and swam 53.92s, missing out by 0.07s. Many swimmers might have decided that is it. It is not meant to be, but Coetzé was never going to forego his dream. It was a case of fourth time lucky. On Monday, during the men's 4x100m medley relay, he swam 53.62s. 

"It was without a doubt one of the biggest highlights of my swimming career. My coach (Rocco Meiring) was instrumental in getting me to believe I can qualify for the Games. Before the relay, he told me to relax and just enjoy the swim. I did and got the result."

Coetzé has set himself a new challenge. He hopes to qualify in the 200m-backstroke a few weeks from now—his winning time during the recent championships was 1:58.33. It is a mere 0.83s off the qualifying Olympic standard. 

"I am currently more of a 100m-backstroke swimmer, but my times over the longer event are constantly improving. So I am going to go out hard the next time I swim the 200 metres." 

On hearing that the famed football legend Cristiano Ronaldo is one of Coetzé's heroes, it is no surprise that he is so highly motivated. 

Ronaldo once said, "If you don't believe you are the best, then you will never achieve all that you are capable of".

It is something the Tuks swimmer took to heart. 

"From a young age, Ronaldo was never content. He wants to win more than other people and to show that he is better than the rest. This extreme will to win and be the best motivates him to work harder. I am striving to do the same," Coetzee explained. 

- Author Wilhelm De Swardt

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