Local stars plot Midmar Mile comeback after two years of foreign dominance
Open-water Swimming
Henré Louw finished second in least year's Midmar Mile elite men's race and will be confident of going one step further this year.
Image: Action Photo SA
South Africa’s leading open-water swimmers will head into next weekend’s aQuellé Midmar Mile with a clear mission: to prevent a third successive victory by an overseas swimmer.
Matthew Caldwell and Henré Louw will spearhead the local challenge at Midmar Dam in Kwazulu-Natal from February 5-8, with three-time French Olympian Damien Joly shaping up as the biggest threat in a strong elite men’s field.
The last two editions of the iconic race were won by foreign swimmers, with New Zealander Louis Clark edging a sprint finish last year and Australian Nick Sloman claiming the title in 2024. Neither will be on the starting pontoon this time, opening the door for South Africa’s top contenders to strike back.
Caldwell, who finished third behind Louw last year, has left little doubt about his confidence heading into the race.
Matthew Caldwell has made a bold podium prediction for this year's Midmar Mile: a men's top three featuring him, Henré Louw and Frenchman Damien Joly.
Image: Action Pictures SA
“I think I’ll call it now: top three, not in order, but top three will be amongst Henré Louw, Damien Joly, the French swimmer, and myself,” Caldwell said. “We will be fighting for first, second and third, us three, I think. That’s my opinion.”
Louw believes the race will be decided by finer margins and a wider group of contenders – adding the likes of Sven van der Linde and Connor Albertyn to the list. Albertyn and Van der Linde finished fifth and sixth last year, although the pair placed second and third the year before.
For Louw, who has finished as a runner-up twice at Midmar, the focus this year has been on execution late in the race.
“Last year I did not finish as well as I wanted to finish,” he said. “My last 400 metres was a bit of an issue – I didn’t pick up my kick rate and my stroke rate as much as I should have.”
He added that exits and race lines could again prove decisive.
“At Midmar, some years one line is faster than the other line. So you definitely need a few practice swims to see how well you can execute the race.”
Online entries for the event have closed, with late entries available on the day at Midmar Dam.