20100418
SABC

The Telkom Senior National Swimming Championships ended in Durban on a positive note today. Fourteen qualifying times are set for the Commonwealth Games in India later this year.

At the end of a long week the contenders picked up the pace. Tough qualifying times and the banning of the fast swimsuits really raised the bar at the championships.

"I think adjusting to not having the suits again definitely works in my favour but, nonetheless it is hard to be going out swimming laps without the suit on. But overall I am really optimistic," says swimmer, Roland Schoeman.

Schoeman qualified in the 50m butterfly and 50m freestyle. Neil Versfeld came from behind to beat Cameron van der Burgh in the 200m breaststroke. Van der Burgh earlier qualified for the event he's focusing on the 100m breaststroke.

Multiple paralympics gold medalist and world record holder Natalie Du Toit put in a number of star performances.

The 14 swimmers who have qualified for the Games in New Delhi in October are Chad le Clos, Roland Schoeman, Cameron van der Burgh, Wendy Trott, Natalie du Toit, Chanelle van Wyk, Riaan Schoeman, Gideon Louw, Darian Townsend, Sebastien Rosseau, Neil Versfeld, Heerden Herman and Mark Randall.