Paris, 27 July 2024 – Erin Gallagher was the sole African swimmer competing in the finals on the opening day of the Olympic swimming events in Paris.
The 25-year-old perservered in the morning, finishing sixth in her 100m butterfly heat with a time of 57.80 seconds. This performance secured her a spot in her first-ever Olympic semifinal.
Reflecting on her achievement in Paris, Gallagher shared, "I don’t remember being nervous. I think I’ve prepared so much that there’s nothing more I could have done. I was very relaxed. I swam a bit slower, but that’s normal for a morning swim. It didn’t feel like I was racing at the Olympics. It was weird.”
In the evening semifinal, the Pretoria-based athlete finished seventh with a time of 57.90 seconds, falling short of her African record of 57.32 set at the SA Championships in Gqeberha earlier this year.
"That was really tough," a devastated Gallagher remarked afterward. "I know I’m capable of more than what I just swam, and there are always lessons to be learned. It would be nice if I didn’t have to learn them at the Olympics. But it's better than what I did in Tokyo. I did everything I possibly could, and that’s what I had tonight. It just felt like it was over so quickly. You don’t have much time to think. It’s a big privilege to be here, but it’s tough," added the African record holder.
Sunday will see three more South Africans diving into the pool at La Défense Arena in the French capital. Tatjana Smith will begin her Olympic campaign in heat 4 of the 100m breaststroke, an event in which she won silver at the Tokyo Games. Her heat is scheduled for 11:36 am.
Pieter Coetzé will compete in heat 5 of the 100m backstroke at 11:54 am, while Aimee Canny will take to the blocks in heat 4 of the 200m freestyle at 12:12 pm.
