Pieter Coetze Looking to Cap Breakout Year with Strong Performances at U.S. Open
A recent poll conducted by Swimming World revealed Pieter Coetze as the readers’ choice for Male Breakout Swimmer of the Year. The South African picked up 51% of the vote, outdistancing Tunisia’s Ahmed Jaouadi (24%) and the United States’ Luca Urlando (20%). Given the way Coetze performed at last summer’s World Championships in Singapore, his selection was not surprising.
Although Coetze was recognized as an emerging star ahead of the World Champs, his performances in Singapore elevated the 21-year-old to another level. At Worlds, Coetze shared the silver medal in the 50 backstroke with Russia’s Pavel Samusenko, as both men touched the wall in 24.17. Meanwhile, he gave Hungarian Hubert Kos all he could handle in the 200 backstroke, earning another silver medal. Kos took top honors in 1:53.19, slightly ahead of the 1:53.36 of Coetze.
However, it was the 100 backstroke where the South African shined greatest. Racing in a stacked field, Coetze secured the gold medal with a mark of 51.85, fast enough to defeat Italy’s Thomas Ceccon (51.90), the reigning Olympic champion. Coetze, who set an African record in each backstroke event, now ranks as the No. 3 performer in history.
This week, Coetze will compete in the United States and look to generate additional momentum ahead of the 2026 season. In addition to contesting all three backstroke events at the U.S. Open, Coetze is entered in the 100 freestyle. He owns a best time of 47.88 in that event. At the University of Texas, the site of the meet, Coetze is looking at three meetings with Kos, and matchups with American Shaine Casas.
The Commonwealth Games in Glasgow figure to be Coetze’s biggest competition for the coming year. At the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games, Coetze was the gold medalist in the 100 backstroke, earned silver in the 50 backstroke and was the bronze medalist in the 200 backstroke.