While the World holds its breath for the 2012 London Olympics, Westville Boys High School is putting its full support behind the SA Swimming Team which has no less than 3 Westville Old Boys’ taking to the pool for South Africa. And to add to this distinction, the Olympic Swimming coach is another old boy, Graham Hill. This is the first time in the history of the Olympic Games that so many swimmers from one school are representing their country at the games.
Of the 5 swimmers from KZN who were selected to swim at the Olympics, 3 are Westville old boys Chad le Clos, Leith Shankland and Charl Crous.
Of the 3 swimmers, Chad le Clos is the best known. In 2010, while still at school and the WBHS swimming captain, he became a multiple Commonwealth Games record holder in the 200 metres butterfly and 400 metres individual medley. He was also a silver medallist as part of the 4×100 medley relay (along with another Westville swimmer Charl Crous).
In 2011, Chad became the FINA World Cup swimming Champion winning 18 gold medals. Three weeks ago in Monaco he won four gold medals in the warm up races to the Olympics.
His favoured stroke is the Butterfly and he is competing in the 100 and 200 metres Individual Butterfly events. Chad will also be swimming the Butterfly leg of the 4×100 metres Medley Relay. He is also one of the key swimmers in both the 4×100 metres freestyle relay and the 4×200 metres free style relay.
Charl Crous was Captain of Swimming at WBHS in 2009. He is the current All African Record Holder for the 200 metres Backstroke and won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 swimming the backstroke leg of the 4×100 medley relay. He will be competing at the Olympics in the 100 metres and 200 metres backstroke sprints and is also as member of the 4×100 Medley Relay.
Leith Shankland was Vice Captain of the 2009 WBHS swimming team. He is also a multi-disciplinary swimmer who has represented his country at every different age group level. He is currently one of the fastest freestyle swimmers in the country and is going to the Olympics as a relay specialist in the 4×100 and 4×200 freestyle relays.
The school is exceptionally proud of these three young men . All three were exemplary pupils at the school and all 3 of them were prefects. They were always role models to the other boys while here. Although they were such super achievers in swimming while at school, they were always modest and humble about their accomplishments. These are the signs of true sportsmen and all three have remained modest and humble even as their achievements have increased. The whole Westville community will be enthusiastically supporting them in every race. Whether they win or lose, to us they are winners already.
