Virginia senior Aimee Canny broke her own South African national and African continental records in the 200-meter freestyle on April 14 at the 2026 South African National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha, South Africa. The event is taking place from April 14 to April 18 at the Newton Park Swimming Pool.
The championships serve as a qualifier for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, which are scheduled for July in Glasgow, Scotland. Swimmers are competing to secure their spots on national teams for this major international event.
Canny won gold in the opening day’s long course meters competition with a time of 1:56.64 in the 200 Free, breaking her previous records and earning qualification for the Commonwealth Games. She also secured silver in the 100 Breaststroke with a time of 1:08.19, making her the fourth-fastest South African performer ever in that event and qualifying her for another race at the Commonwealth Games.
On Wednesday, Canny qualified for a third event by winning gold in the 200 Individual Medley with a time of 2:10.90.
The meet continues through Saturday as swimmers aim to achieve more qualifying standards ahead of this summer’s international competitions.
