Pieter Coetze made a splash on Tuesday, winning gold in the men's 100m backstroke at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. His win marked South Africa's first medal at the event.
According to EWN , the 21-year-old swimmer finished with a time of 51.85 seconds, breaking the African record in a race that saw the top contenders separated by fractions of a second.
Coetze edged out reigning Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon of Italy, who finished second in 51.90. France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard took third place, clocking in at 51.92.
Watch the race:
Coetze had qualified for the final after finishing second in his semi-final on Monday, 28 July. The championship, held at Singapore's world-class indoor aquatic complex, has drawn top international swimmers gearing up for the upcoming Olympic season.