'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
South African swimmer Pieter Coetze won the 100m backstroke gold medal on the third day of the World Aquatics Championships 2025. This comes just 10 days after Coetze won a gold medal in the 100m and 50m backstroke events at the World University Games. In the 100m back event, he clocked 51.99 seconds and defeated US swimmers Will Modglin and Daniel Dahl.
In Singapore, Coetze defeated the 2022 Worlds and reigning 100m backstroke Olympic champion Thomas Ceccon in the final to win his first medal in the competition. The matchup between Coetze and Ceccon was very close, where the South African narrowly surpassed the latter in 51.85 seconds.
Ceccon was just 0.05 seconds behind Coetze in 51.90 seconds, while France's Yohann Ndoye-Brouard finished third in 51.92 seconds. Speaking about his victory in Singapore, Coetze expressed his excitement to emerge victorious in an elite field. He said (via Swimming World Magazine):
Trending
"It’s amazing to call myself a world champion in a field like that."
Pieter Coetze will next feature in the 200m backstroke event on Thursday, July 31, and will follow it up with the 50m backstroke on Saturday.
Pieter Coetze shared his excitement after his 100m backstroke victory at the World Aquatics Championships 2025
Pieter Coetze expressed his excitement after winning the 100m backstroke gold medal at the World Aquatics Championships 2025. Coetze shared that he is very happy to win in an elite field that had the likes of Thomas Ceccon and Kliment Kolesnikov.
Additionally, the Pretoria native also shed light on his body language before the final and said that he was very calm and relaxed, which eased out the tense moments of the big race. He said (via Swimming World Magazine):
" I’m trying to soak it all in and can’t really put it into words…I’m over the moon. I don’t even know what to say. To win in a field like that, Kolesnikov and Ceccon, all those big names. I knew it was going to be a big race. I think I was very calm and relaxed going into it. I think sometimes you can be too tense and force it, but I was just super relaxed and excited and happy to be here."
Pieter Coetze has been in impressive form of late and has also clinched three gold medals in the 50m, 100m freestyle and 200m backstroke events at the South African National Championships.
