Seals Gala 1, held at the GC Jolliffe Pool on 7 June 2026, set the benchmark for many of KwaZulu-Natal’s swimmers as they kicked off the 2026–27 season. Organised by renowned event coordinator and Seals Head Coach, Wayne Riddin, the gala attracted athletes from three of KZN’s major swimming clubs—Seagulls, Seals, and Aqua Zone—alongside the newly formed Virgin Active Chad Le Clos Swim Club. With favourable weather conditions and a strong field of competitors, swimmers were eager to see how their latest block of training had prepared them for the season ahead.
The meet opened with the challenging 200m freestyle, an important event for many swimmers looking to secure qualifying times and establish early-season benchmarks.
Outstanding performances came from several of the younger athletes. Twelve-year-old Caleb Potgieter of Seals Swim Club recorded a two-second personal best, while Seagulls swimmer Keaton de Wit, also 12 years old, produced an impressive swim, finishing more than 10 seconds under his entry time. Akhona Zokwe of Seals Swim Club started his day in spectacular fashion, lowering his personal best by 10 seconds.
Seagulls’ 10-year-old Mauritz Swartz also impressed, bettering his previous time in the 200m freestyle. In the Men’s 15 Years and Over category, the standout performance came from Seals sprint specialist Jeremiah George, who shaved three seconds off his entry time. It was also encouraging to see Leon Coetzer begin his 2026–27 campaign where he left off last season, posting another personal best in the 200m freestyle.
In the 100m breaststroke, it was once again the younger swimmers who demonstrated the rewards of their hard work in training. Fourteen-year-old Dex Herbst delivered the standout swim, breaking the 1:10 barrier for the first time with a 1:09.32.
Other notable performances included Willow Coleman (12 years), who swam 35.72 in the 50m backstroke, and Akhona Zokwe, who dropped more than a second from his previous best in the same event. Patrick Lamb (27.52) and teammate Ziya Jasat (27.91) both recorded personal best times in their 50m backstroke races, while Thabang Josephe also impressed, lowering his time by 0.69 seconds.
The blue-ribbon 100m freestyle event provided plenty of excitement. Twelve-year-old Morgan Nixon edged closer to the elusive one-minute mark, improving by 0.40 seconds to clock 1:02.62. Akhona Zokwe continued his excellent day, producing another personal best with a two-second improvement in the 100m freestyle.
The standout swim of the event belonged to Seals swimmer Rachael Sheard. Better known for her backstroke performances, Sheard delivered a breakthrough swim, dropping more than a second from her previous best to break the one-minute barrier for the first time with an outstanding 59.69. The swim sends a strong message that exciting performances can be expected from her throughout the 2026–27 season.
In the men’s 100m freestyle, special mention must go to Seals swimmers Lee Matthews and Patrick Lamb, who both recorded significant personal bests. Matthews improved by 0.92 seconds, while Lamb lowered his best time by 1.29 seconds.
Seals Swim Club looks forward to welcoming swimmers back for Seals Gala 2, which will be held on 21 June 2026 at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg. As every swimmer knows, the more you race, the better you become.