The history of competitive water sports in southern Africa

The first swimmer to wear the coveted Springbok was George Godfrey of Natal (right, below), at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm. He competed in the 400 freestyle where he placed 4th in the quarter final. His time was 6:30.6, while the final was won by the Canadian George Hodgson in a new WR of 5'24''4.

Barbara Nash was the only Sprinbok swimmer at Antwerp in 1920, where she competed in the 100 and 300m freestyle events.

She finished 5th in her heat of the 100m freestyle, and 6th in the 300m.

There were no Sprinbok swimmers at the 1924 Paris Games, but in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam Rhoda Rennie, Frederica(Freddie)van der Goes, Marie Redford and Kathleen Russell won a bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay. Rhoda Rennie also competed in the 100 metre freestyle competition and in the 400 metre freestyle event, but she was eliminated in the first round in both events. Kathleen Russel competed in the 400 metre freestyle competition, but was eliminated in the semi-finals. Van der Goes reached the final of the 400 freestyle, while in the 100 freestyle Russel finished 8th, Sandra Engelberg 16th and Rhoda Rennie 22nd. The team coach was Rachel Finlayson.

At the 1934 Empire Games she won the silver medal with the South African team in the 4×100 yards freestyle relay contest.

Jennie Maakal won the first meal in the 1932 Olympic Games, placing 3rd in the 400 freestyle.

In 1930 the Springboks went to Hamilton, Canada for the Empire Games. No swimmers were included in the team, but Oonagh Whitsett  won gold in the women’s 3m springboard diving. The occasion is described in Springboks of the Olympiad by Ira G. Emery (1955): South Africa at that time did not posses an imported diving coach. The young Natalian, daughter of the Natal Police Chief, went to Canada, watched the training of the “coached” divers and knew she could win – and win she did.

Jennie Maakal swam at the 1930 Games, making two finals, but really made her two years later at the 1932  Los Angeles Olympic Games, taking the bronze medal in 400m freestyle – becoming the first Springbok to win an Olympic swimming medal, while breaking the Olympic record in the heats of the 100m freestyle.

Her inclusion in the Springbok team was subject to considerable controversy, as the was selected by the South African Swimming Union, but the SA Olympic Association refused to pay for her! In the depths of the worldwide Depression, there was no funding available to send a bigger team. Maakal had to pay her own way, as had the two officials who traveled with the team.

In 1930 the first Empire Games were held in Hamilton, Canada and Onagh Whitsett of South Africa won the Gold Medal in the Ladies Springboard Diving. The team shown below:

Top - Terry Collard and Carla Gerke, seated - H. Holmes, Alex Bulley (manager) and Molly Ryde

The next tour was to London, for the 1934 Empire Games. A number of Springbok swimmers competed, with Jennie Maakal winning the only swimming medal – silver in the 400 freestyle.  The other swimmers were Enid Hayward, Kathleen Russell and Molly Ryde. Oonagh Whitsett again competed in the diving, with less success.

In 1936 the Olympic Committee decided to take no swimmers, so it was in 1938 at the Empire Games in Australia that the Boks competed again. 3 Ladies – Carla Gerke, Hazel Holmes and Molly Ryde, with one male swimmer Terry Collard, all won silver medals. Collard took second place in the 100 freestyle, with Carle Gerke also coming second in the 100 breaststroke, and the ladies beating Australia in to second place behind England, in the 3 x 110yds medley relay. Alex Bulley from Natal begins a long association with the national team, traveling as the swimming manager.

In 1948, after the War, the Olympic Games were hosted by London. 4 Springbok swimmers and a coach were sent, but they met with little success. Desmond Cohen, Geoff Mandy, Jackie (Jacobus) Wiid and Donald Johnston were accompanied by swim coach Jimmy Green. Johnston came 7th in the heats of 400 freestyle and 3rd in his heat of the 500m freestyle, Wiid won his heat of the 100 backstroke in a time of 1:08,5 and then went on to finish 6th in the final. Cohen was 7th in his heat of the 200 breaststroke.

The 1950 Empire Games in Auckland saw considerable success for the swimmers. Three swimmer won gold and set new Commonwealth Games records – Joan Harrison 440y freestyle 5:26,4 (also broke record in heats), Graham Johnston 1650y freestyle and Jackie Wiid 110y backstroke 1:07,7, with Johnston also taking silver in 440y freestyle (also under old record), and Harrison 3rd in 110y freestyle. Wiid also finished 5th in 100 freestyle.

1952 was a significant year in South African swimming – as a Springbok won an Olympic swimming gold medal for the first time - Joan Harrison in the 100 backstroke. The team contained large number of swimmers – RE Meredith; JE van Gent; PH Duncan; DM Melville; DJ Durr; GS Goddard; DV Cohen; WA Aucamp; FM Butler; LJ Meiring; D Ford; DA Pappas; S Yach; W Welgemoed; Graham Johnston and Joan Harrison. 

Again, Gold medals were won at the 1954 Empire Games in Vancouver by Graham Johnston, men’s 1650 yards Freestyle, Joan Harrison, ladies 110 yards Backstroke and the South African Ladies 4 x 110 yards Freestyle Relay team.

At the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne the Ladies Relay of Moira Abernethy, Jeanette Myburgh, Nathalie Myburgh and Susan Roberts team took the bronze medal in the 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay. Moira Abernethy breecame a swim coach and is the mother of Moira and Anne Lamont - both Springbok swimmers in Transvaal.  

In 1965 Karen Muir became the youngest person in the world to break a World record in any sport and that record still stands today. At the British Championships in Blackpool, she broke the World Record for the Women’s 110 yds Backstroke at the age of 12 and between 1965 and 1970 she went on to break 15 World Records in the 110 and 220 yards backstroke as well as the 100m and 200m backstroke.

The 1960 Olympic Games in Rome was the last Games that South Africans competed in until 1992 when they were readmitted and competed in the Games in Barcelona.

1979 Springboks to compete against Rhodesia, coached by Frank Gray

South Africa was readmitted to the Commonwealth in 1994 and took part in the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada in 1994. In 1995 South Africa competed in the All Africa Games for the first time and South African swimmers won a total of 26 Gold 22 Silver medals and 6 Bronze medals and broke 6 South African & African Records.