The plan to produce women medal contenders in the pool at the Rio Olympics failed dismally as the country could not qualify a single woman for the quadrennial showpiece in August.
It was the first time since Athens 2004 that the country did not have any female representation in the pool at the Games, while the situation was the same at last year’s world championships in Kazan, Russia.
The warning signs were there long before the Games, which inspired the now-defunct ‘Get the Girls to Gold’ programme in 2013.
The aim of the programme was to raise funds for eight promising young female swimmers with an eye on the Rio Games. Eight were identified and briefly supported before the initiative died a quiet death.
Speaking to Swimming SA officials at the African Championships in Bloemfontein they seem keen to resuscitate the initiative.
The sport in general is in desperate need of a wider talent pool as the country currently relies heavily on the heroics of its two men’s Olympic gold medallists, Cameron van der Burgh and Chad le Clos.
The African Championships provided a glimmer of hope for women’s swimming as a young crop of swimmers are showing potential.
Gauging the true potential of a prepubescent female swimmer will always be a tricky exercise, but it is crucial these athletes receive the correct guidance from coaches when their bodies go through these changes. While the boys benefit from an increase in testosterone during puberty, the girls’ swimming often suffers due to increases in oestrogen.
A programme is needed that caters specifically for women that will help increase muscle strength during this time while understanding and providing for the changes and the possible drop in performance.
The World Short-Course Championships in Canada in December already has some female representation with four SA girls included in the team.
The big test whether the country will see an upswing in women’s swimming will be at next year’s SA Championships, which will double as trials for the World Long-Course Championships.
Teenagers Tatjana Schoenmaker, Mariella Venter and Nathania van Niekerk came painstakingly close to qualifying for the Rio Games earlier this year when they missed out on selection by hundredths of a second.
The 14-year-old Rebecca Meder is showing immense promise, while breaststrokers Hanim Abrahams and Kaylene Corbett are also making waves.
These talented swimmers need to be looked after and nurtured as they hold the promise for a new wave of female athletes.
Another positive development to emerge from swimming is the fact that retired Olympic gold medallist Lyndon Ferns will sit on the SSA board as the athletes' representative.
The swimmers have been calling for a representative at decision-making level for a long time, and with his background in business and as a double Olympian, Ferns will hopefully make a positive contribution.
Meanwhile, Le Clos revealed bits about his next move after he announced his split from long-time coach Graham Hill last month.
The country’s most decorated swimmer plans to launch his Chad le Clos Swimming Academy, which can only be seen as a positive step as he looks to attract more youngsters to the sport.
Swimming seems to be going in the right direction but if it does not translate into more medals and more people participating in the sport, it will all be for nothing.
Saturday Star