Pieter Coetze backed to be a strong contender at World Championships

Meiring is working to shield the young swimmer from the pressure of chasing a medal and is urging him to take things step by step and to concentrate on his individual events.

Speaking to SABC Sport, the former South African Coach of the Year said his immediate goal for Coetze is to reach the final, stressing the importance of focusing on that milestone before setting sights on the podium.

"We don't think about medals because at that level, it simply comes down to what happens on the day. Every swimmer in the final has the ability to claim a medal, so our focus is on reaching the final," said Meiring. 

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The University of Pretoria swimming coach admits that the 21-year-old swimmer has great talent but emphasizes that more work is needed to develop him into a world-class competitor capable of challenging top swimmers from Russia and other leading nations in the sport.

"Pieter is definitely an upcoming talent, and he is working tremendously hard to be competitive at the highest level. 

"The events that he competes in are very difficult and taxing on the body, and his events are stacked with countless talents. With the Russians being roped back into the international scene, it makes our job more challenging because they have two world champions in the backstroke. Realistically, if he can qualify for the final in year one after the Olympics, that would be fantastic."

Pieter Coetze, who secured South Africa’s only medal at last year’s World Aquatics Championships in Doha with a podium finish in the 200m backstroke, is balancing his academic commitments at the University of Pretoria as well as his swimming aspirations this year.

His coach, Meiring, remains confident that he can manage both successfully.

"Pieter Coetze's life has changed drastically. He's conducting a full-time academic course as a first-year student, but this is the year for him to develop as a swimmer and to get used to his new life. I can assure you he's been working very hard and big things will soon follow. 

Meiring, who coached Tatjana Smith to two Olympic medals in Paris last year, told SABC Sport that it’s unfair for fans to place the weight of the nation’s expectations on Coetze’s young shoulders ahead of the championships in Singapore.