Matt Sates is a sure thing in South African swimming. The 20-year-old nugget once again shone at the Swimming World Cup. The South African finished on the podium in his second appearance.
Matt Sates missed out on the world swimming championships, which took place last July in Fukuoka, Japan. The 20-year-old South African wants to focus on his preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Sates did, however, take part in the three-stage Swimming World Cup (Berlin, Athens, Budapest). And the 20-year-old South African almost created a sensation by finishing top of the overall ranking.
Matthew Sates racked up victories in the medley and butterfly on the 2023 circuit. He was leading the ranking before the final event.China's Qin Haiyang was ranked first in the first two stages, taking first place in both the Berlin and Athens competitions. But with one day to go, Sates overtook Qin. On the second day of the third leg in Budapest, Sates won the triple crown in the 200 m medley and 200 m butterfly, which was decisive. But China's Qin responded by winning the 200m breaststroke to record his ninth victory. Thanks to the extra points he needed, Qin tipped the balance in his favour.Sates came very close to victory, but in the end had to settle for third place. Thomas Ceccon won the 100m backstroke, beating him by just one point.
Matthew Sates therefore missed out on the handsome sum of 100,000 dollars promised to the winner. But the South African is satisfied with his performance and is now focusing on the next Olympics in Paris in 2024.
Find out the overall Swimming World Cup rankings 👉 https://t.co/x9d8jOQ7PI#swimming #SWC23 pic.twitter.com/9iA2t6hege
— World Aquatics (@WorldAquatics) October 22, 2023
