In sport, numbers sometimes tell a better story than words — look at Pieter Coetze’s heroics in the recently concluded World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 series in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
There is good reason why Coetze, 22, in an interview with World Aquatics in Kazakhstan on Saturday, remarked after his last race: “It’s probably the hardest I’ve had to work ever in the 50m backstroke. So, no, I’ll cherish this one forever.”
The statistics bear out his statement. Between October 1 and October 17, the Tuks swimmer competed in 27 backstroke races (50m, 100m and 200m). He reached nine finals, won eight and tied for second in one.
In Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, Coetze won all three backstroke events.
He set a world record in the 50m backstroke and twice improved the African record in the 100m backstroke.
The men’s overall race came down to the final race between Coetze and Russian, Egor Kornvev in the 50m backstroke. Kornev’s Triple Crown win earlier in the 50m Butterfly at 21.82 meant that whoever won the final race would become the overall winner and earn the $100 000 (R1.6 million) top prize.
“I just did it like any other race. I had some bicep pain in the warm-up, so that stressed me out a bit. But I tried to switch my mind off and focus on the race,” Coetze said.
The 50m final was a thriller. After the first 25m, the two swimmers were separated by 0.07s. With 15m to go, it looked as though the Russian might beat Coetze. But Coetze won in 22.36s. Kornev finished third (22.81s). Russia’s Pavel Samusenko was second in 22.49s.
The Tuks swimmer is the fastest in the world in all three backstroke events (25m pool). His 22.09s 50m is a world record, while his 48.21s 100m backstroke is an African record.
- Pieter Coetze competed in 27 backstroke races between October 1 and October 17, reaching nine finals and winning eight with one tie for second.
- Coetze won all three backstroke events in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan during the World Aquatics Swimming World Cup 2026 series.
- He set a world record in the 50m backstroke and improved the African record twice in the 100m backstroke.
- In the decisive 50m backstroke final, Coetze won with a time of 22.36 seconds, securing the overall men's race and the $100,000 top prize.
- Coetze holds the fastest times globally in all three backstroke events in a 25m pool, with a 22.09s world record in the 50m and a 48.21s African record in the 100m backstroke.
