Team South Africa have already picked up three medals at the championships in Singapore.
Following the medal-winning swims of team-mates Pieter Coetze and Kaylene Corbett, Erin Gallagher, who also trains with Coetze and Corbett in Pretoria, will be hoping to add to South Africa’s medal tally on Saturday.
Gallagher will be South Africa’s next big medal hope at the World Aquatics Championships taking place in Singapore.
Coetze has already picked up two medals – gold in the 100m backstroke and silver in the 200m backstroke – while Corbett won her first “worlds” medal on Friday, taking the bronze in the 200m breaststroke final.
It’s now Gallagher’s turn to show what she can do, in the 50m butterfly final.
‘Owe it to Pieter and Kaylene’
The 26-year-old finished second in her semi-final on Friday, in a time of 23.39 seconds, and so also bettering her own national record and finishing just one hundredth of a second off Egyptian Farida Osman’s continental mark.
Gallagher’s time was the third fastest in the semi-finals.
“I’m so happy with that swim. I honestly think I owe it to Pieter and Kaylene, my teammates, for winning medals tonight (Friday),” said Gallagher afterwards.
“I was in the call-room screaming, and they just got me excited for my race and I thought I can’t drop the ball – my teammates have done so incredibly well, I need to get into that final tonight and I think that spurred me on in the race.”
Also yesterday, Catherine van Rensburg finished 25th overall in the 800m freestyle in a time of 8 minutes 50.60 seconds.
In other action on Saturday, Coetzé returns to the pool for the 50m backstroke and Corbett for the 50m breaststroke, while Caitlin de Lange will be taking on the 50m freestyle.
The mixed 4x100m freestyle relay team will also be in action before Gallagher’s 50m butterfly final in the evening session.
