Rising swimming star Jarden Eaton was gutted with his performance at the SA National Swimming Championships in Gqeberha, despite bagging silver and bronze in the butterfly.
The defending champion in the 50m sprint finished second behind Joshua Emslie (24.30) with a time of 24.34 seconds.
It was just short of the 24.18 B qualifying time for the event at the world championships in Singapore later this year.
His time of 53.82 in the 100m butterfly final, won by Matthew Sates, was also just short of the B qualifying standard, but well off the A qualifying time.
Both times were also slightly higher than last year’s top times in both events at the same Newton Park Swimming Pool for Eaton.
The results were a huge disappointment for the 19-year-old swimmer, who was hoping to turn bronze into gold in the 100m, in the absence of friend and rival Chad le Clos.
“I'm really disappointed with how I performed," Jarden told Independent Media Sport exclusively. “I feel that it wasn't a true indication of the effort I put into training. I'm going through the defeat and just taking day by day.
"I did get a bit sick a few days ago but I felt like I did everything right, my preparation leading up to nationals was good."
He admitted that Emslie had been the better swimmer in the sprint.
"I would probably say I lost the 100 in the last 10 metres. I started really hurting. I executed the race well, I just hoped to do a bit better, I guess," he added.
The big prize for Eaton is the 100m butterfly at the 2028 Olympic Games in Atlanta. With the 50m sprint also recently added to the Olympic programme, it has only enhanced his medal chances.
Eaton sees that merely as a potential consolation prize should it get him to the Games.
Coetzé caps off Nationals with fourth world champs qualifier: https://t.co/1IVADZ7LrF
— Swimming South Africa (@SwimSouthAfrica) April 13, 2025
Photo Credits: @rogersedres#PressRelease pic.twitter.com/NpBn1H3S0o
There is also the potential for the Johannesburg-based swimmer to make it to the world championships via the Barcelona leg of the Mare Nostrum Tour in May. But that was yet to be confirmed by coaches Kyle Baxter and long-time mentor Richard Little.
Baxter had pointed out earlier in the year that the swimmer's best time in the 100m butterfly was last year's 53.1 seconds and that he was "on point" to meet the Olympic A qualifying time.
That puts the 53.82 time in the weekend's final into perspective.
The youngster would do well to view the national competition as a learning curve if he is to emulate the achievements of the likes of Olympic legend Le Clos.
2025 World Aquatics Championships A qualifying times achieved at the SA National Swimming Championships
Pieter Coetzé: 50m, 100m, 200m backstroke, 50m freestyle
Matt Sates: 200m individual medley
Rebecca Meder: 200m individual medley, 200m breaststroke
Kaylene Corbett: 200m breaststroke
Chris Smith: 50m breaststroke
Michael Houlie: 50m breaststroke
Erin Gallagher: 50m butterfly