Theo Verster

Theo Verster

Personal information
Full name	Theophilus Verster
National team	South Africa
Born	14 January 1975 Durban, South Africa
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight	68 kg (150 lb)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Butterfly, medley
Club	Pietermaritzburg Seals
Coach	Wayne Riddin
Medal record Men's swimming Representing South Africa All-Africa Games 1999 Johannesburg 200 m butterfly 1999 Johannesburg 200 m medley 1999 Johannesburg 100 m butterfly

Theophilus "Theo" Verster (born January 14, 1975) is a South African former swimmer, who specialized in butterfly and in individual medley events.^[1] He won three medals at the 1999 All-Africa Games, and later represented South Africa at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He also held an African record of 55.04 from the 2002 Telkom International Sprint Challenge that defeated Terence Parkin for a top finish and sliced off Brendon Dedekind's standard by 0.37 of a second.^[2] During his sporting career, Verster trained full-time for the Pietermaritzburg Seals Swim Club under his personal coach Wayne Riddin.

Verster ascended to prominence in the global scene at the 1999 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Sydney, placing seventh each in the 100 m butterfly (54.28) and 200 m individual medley (2:04.24).^[3][4] On that same year, at the All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, Verster established meet records to claim two golds each in the 200 m butterfly (2:04.69) and in the 200 m individual medley (2:04.10). In the 100 m butterfly, he was upstaged by teammate Kelly on a head-to-head race, ending up only with a silver in 54.75.^[5]

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Verster built a monstrous program of four swimming events.^[6][7] He posted FINA A-standards of 53.86 (100 m butterfly), 2:01.63 (200 m butterfly), and 2:03.11 (200 m individual medley) from the South African Championships in Johannesburg.^[8][9][10] On the third day of the Games, Verster placed twenty-sixth in the 200 m butterfly. Swimming in heat three, he picked up a fourth seed by almost a full body length behind winner Vladan Marković of Yugoslavia in 2:00.90.^[11][12] Two days later, in the 200 m individual medley, Verster finished twentieth in 2:03.64, nearly a small fraction of a second outside the semifinal field.^[13] In his final individual event, 100 m butterfly, Verster posted a time of 53.95 from heat five, but missed again the semifinals by 0.14 of a second with an eighteenth-place effort.^[14][15] Verster also teamed up with Simon Thirsk, Brett Petersen, and Nicholas Folker in the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Swimming a butterfly leg in heat two, Verster recorded a split of 53.52, a national record, but the South Africans finished the race in fourth place and thirteenth overall with a final time of 3:42.44.^[16]

Verster also sought his entry bid for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, but finished fourth in the 100 m butterfly (54.82) at the South African Championships, handing over to his teammate Eugene Botes.^[17] Shortly after the trials, Verster announced his retirement from swimming. He is currently working as a full-time coach for Saint Andrew's School for Girls in Johannesburg.^[18]

References

1. "Theo Verster". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
2. Els, Mark (4 January 2002). "Verster fells Africa 100m record". Independent Online (South Africa). Retrieved 7 June 2013.
3. Thomas, Stephen (27 August 1999). "1999 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 6". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
4. Thomas, Stephen (28 August 1999). "1999 Pan Pacific Championships: Day 7". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
5. "Heyns cruises at All Africa Games". Sports Illustrated. CNN. 12 September 1999. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
6. "South Africa Announces Olympic Squad". Swimming World Magazine. 11 April 2000. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
7. Lemke, Gary (9 April 2000). "Olympic selection a triumph for wisdom". Independent Online (South Africa). Retrieved 2 June 2013.
8. "Swimming – Men's 100m Butterfly Startlist (Heat 5)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
9. "Swimming – Men's 200m Butterfly Startlist (Heat 3)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
10. "Swimming – Men's 200m Individual Medley Startlist (Heat 5)" (PDF). Sydney 2000. Omega Timing. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
11. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Butterfly Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 217. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
12. "Malchow sets Olympic record in 200 fly". Canoe.ca. 18 September 2000. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
13. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 200m Individual Medley Heat 3" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 308. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
14. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 100m Butterfly Heat 5" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 208. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
15. Lemke, Gary (21 September 2000). "Swimmers drown SA's medal chances". Post (South Africa). Retrieved 2 June 2013.
16. "Sydney 2000: Swimming – Men's 4×100m Medley Relay Heat 2" (PDF). Sydney 2000. LA84 Foundation. p. 347. Retrieved 23 April 2013.
17. Smith, Neville (19 April 2004). "South African Olympic Trials, Day 4: Neethling, Schoeman Swim 48s in the 100m Freestyle Semifinals". Swimming World Magazine. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
18. "Aquatic Centre". St. Andrew's School for Girls. Retrieved 7 June 2013.

External links

• News24 Profile
• Coach Profile – Oxygen for Life (South Africa)