2013 FINA World SC Championship medal winner

Giulio was born on January 3, 1989 in Johannesburg.  He matriculated from Pretoria Boys High and studied civil engineering at the University of Pretoria. Both Giulio and Cameron swam under German coach Dirk Lange before he returned to Germany.

Gil Levy, occasional coach of the two swimmers at the time, confides: “They were constantly together, clowning around, enjoying life, seizing the smallest opportunities while working hard, very hard. They won everything! ".

Then they trained with coach Grant Kritzinger at the Northern Tigers Club and  Head Coach Igor Omeltchenko at the TUKS Swimming Club at the University of Pretoria. 

At the 2013 FINA World Championships in Barcelona, Spain, he won the bronze medal, swimming in lane 8 The race was won by his training partner Cameron van der Burgh, who finished in 26,77, just 0,01 seconds ahead of Australian Christian Sprenger in 26,78. Giulio was third in 27,04. The 4th-placed swimmer Damir Dugonjic was also 0,01 seconds behind Giulio! Cameron held the world record of 25,25 since 2009.

Giulio swam in the 2014, 2015, and 2016 editions of the Raia Rapida in Rio de Janeiro.

At the world student games - the Universiade - of 2013, held in Kazan, he won the 50m breaststroke, winning the only medal for South Africa. His time was 27,44.

In 2016 Giulio finished 5th in the 50m breaststroke at the FINA World Championships in Canada, where his time was a personal best time of 26,08.

He retired after this event. Today he works as a civil engineer in Pretoria. 

Training partners and best friends, Giulio Zorzi and Cameron Van Der Burgh

by Tony Carroll 

July 31st, 2013

https://swimswam.com/africa-report-day-4-continued-cameron-van-der-burgh-and-giulio-zorzi-the-ricky-bobby-and-cal-naughton-jr-of-breaststroke/ 

Cameron Van Der Burgh won the 50m breaststroke, earning his first Gold Medal of the Championships. That alone would have made it a great day for the South African’s, but Giulio Zorzi, Van Der Burgh’s South African teammate, touched third, earning the Bronze medal. It is great to see two teammates finish on the podium. Several other countries have seen both of their swimmers finish in the top 3, but this is the first of the Championships for South Africa. What makes this even more special is the Cameron and Giulio have been training partners for years.

We were able to talk with a few of their coaches who were able to share a lot about their journey.

“Cameron and Giulio how should I say it: the Ricky Bobby and Cal Naughton Jr. of World Breaststroke swimming.  You will see #shakeandbake everywhere on our tweets. Why? Because they are a team, inseparable like “brothers”, they are together all the time 24/7and drive and push each other to unstoppable standards. Everything they do ends up being a competition, even measuring their fat percentages lol; but man do they have fun, from ragging on Lehesta every day to playing practical jokes or continually playing soccer as a form of “stretching”. These guys just love and enjoy what they do. We have really just allowed them at Players to be given the freedom to express their swimming - like artwork.” – Grant Kritzinger, Players Swim.

Van Der Burgh and Zorzi have trained together since they were young. Grant Kritzinger told us that Van Der Burgh once referred to Zorzi as his “Seabiscuit and protégé.” Although we have seen a lot of success from Van Der Burgh, Zorzi made it very clear that he is not anybody's “Seabiscuit.”

“Giulio Zorzi after tonight isn’t the next Cameron Van Der Burgh, he is the next Giulio Zorzi, this kid will be phenomenal in years to come.” – Grant Kritzinger, Players Swim.

Cameron Van Der Burgh and Giulio Zorzi have swam together since they were young and are best friends. You could see how important that friendship was to both of them during the medal presentation, when Van Der Burgh pulled his teammate and best friend, Zorzi, to the top of the podium for the singing of their National Anthem. They stood there, arms around each other, watching the South African flag as it was raised up.

Cameron progressed to training with Dirk Lange who had become SA Head Coach and dragged Giulio with him to go and train there too.

GIl Levy wrote: While I never coached Giulio, I had the privilege of watching him grow up at Pretoria Boys High School which we both attended and I returned to – to teach English and Phys Ed. there. The two of them are inseparable, constantly clowning around with a lust for life and a zest for the opportunities they work & train so hard for – to their fullest.”

Their friendship and support has benefitted them in and out of the pool. It is great to see two best friends pushing each other to be the best they can be, supporting each others goals, and accomplishing them together.

Thank you to Gil Levy, Grant Kritzinger, Cameron Van Der Burgh, and Giulio Zorzi for contributing to these articles.

George was born 16 October 1982 in Bloemfontein, a pupil at St Andrews, where he was coached by Simon Gray at the Bloemfontein Seals SC. In 2002 he took up a scholarship at the University of Tennessee, although he only stayed for two years before returning to South Africa.

Back in South Africa he completed a degree in Human Movement Science at the University of the Orange Free State. George later moved to Pretoria where he swam with the Pretoria Aquatic Club, and today he coaches as part of Athletic Edge.   He was a member of South Africa's 2008 Olympic team.

He retired in 2009, and has become a swimming coach at the Pretoria Aquatic Club. He held the South African record holder for the 100 and 200 short course backstroke events, as well as the 200 m backstroke. 

2009 FINA World Cup, Moscow

On 7th November 2009 George swam to a world record in the short course meters version of the 200 Backstroke, at a FINA World cup event Men's 200m Backstroke South Africa's George Du Rand clocked a surprising world record in the long backstroke with a stunning time of 1:47.08. That effort crushed Markus Rogan's global standard of 1:47.84 set at the 2008 World Short Course Championships. The swim also smashed Du Rand's national record of 1:49.53.

NCAA Career

He swam collegiate in the United States at the University of Tennessee, but for only two years. He earned All-America honors from his 12th place finish in the 1650 freestyle at the 2002 NCAA Championships in a personal best time of 15:09.75. 

Natalie was born in Cape Town on 29 January 1984. She attended Timour Hall Primary School and Wynberg GHS. Later she completed her school education at the Reddam House in Cape Town. She continued her education by pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Cape Town. Her major was in Genetics and Physiology. Her coach was Karoly von Törös of the Vineyard Swimming Club. 

At the age of 14, in 1998 Natalie set a new SA record in the 400 IM at the South African Championships in Durban, achieving a qualifying time for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. She finished second in the 200m butterfly, also in a qualifying time for the Games.  She was selected to compete in the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games, where she swam in the 200m butterfly and 400 m IM events. The Western Province women's 4x100 medley relay team of du Toit, Renate du Plessis, Sara Poewe, and Ingrid Theunissen won the gold medal at nationals. She was seen as a bright star in the future of Western Province swimming.

At the 7th All-Africa Games held 12–18 September 1999 at the Ellis Park Aquatic Complex in Johannesburg, Natalie finished second to Mandy Loots in both the 200 fly and 400 IM. 

In 2000 she missed qualifying for the Sydney Olympic Games but did compete in the 400m IM at the FINA World SC Championships held in Athens. Her time of 4:47 was considerably faster than the time of 5:03 she set at Kaula Lumpur.

But her life changed track dramatically in February 2001, when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident. 

She was riding her scooter back to school after swimming practice when a reckless driver driving out of a parking place crashed right into her left leg. Her leg had to be amputated, below the knee. 

After spending two weeks in hospital, the strong-minded Natalie climbed back into the pool, determined to inspire others with her fortitude and winning approach. 

Despite the enormity of her setback, she was resolute in her decision to participate in the Manchester Games – both as an able-bodied and disabled competitor, just to prove it could be done. 

And one year after the accident – aged 18 – Natalie won both the multi-disability 50m freestyle and the multi-disability 100m freestyle in world record time, at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. She then qualified for the 800m freestyle final - for able-bodied swimers. Although she finished last in the race, she made history by becoming the first disabled swimmer to compete in an able-bodied race at an international event. Disabled swimming had been introduced into the Commonwealth Games for the first time in the 2002 Games in Manchester.

That day, Du Toit wasn’t close to winning. But that hardly mattered. She was named outstanding athlete of the Games, beating Aussie Ia Thorpe, who had won six golds, and one silver, and set a new world record. Out of necessity, she switched to distance freestyle after the accident. But although her body and events have changed, her goals haven’t. “I have always had a dream to take part in an Olympic Games, and losing my leg didn’t change anything,” she says.

In 2003, competing against able-bodied swimmers, du Toit won gold in the 800 meters freestyle at the All-Africa Games as well as silver in the 800-meter freestyle and bronze in the 400-meter freestyle at the Afro-Asian Games.

She narrowly missed qualifying for the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, but during the Paralympics that were held in the same city, she won one silver and five gold medals. In the same year, her courage and achievements were acknowledged with a nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards of the Year 2004 with Disability Award. At the 2006 Commonwealth Games, she repeated her previous performance by winning the same two golds as she had in Manchester. In 2006 Natalie won six gold medals at the fourth IPC World Swimming Championships.

History was made again in 2008 when Natalie du Toit became the first-ever amputee to qualify for the Olympic Games. On 3 May 2008, she qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics after finishing fourth in the 10 km marathon swim at the 2008 FINA World Open Water Swimming Championships in Sevilla, Spain. Her time was only 5.1 seconds off the winner in a race that made its first Olympic appearance in Beijing. She finished 16th in the Olympic 10km Open Water event. At the time she was one of only two athletes to have competed in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games. She also took part in the 2008 Summer Paralympics, winning 5 gold medals.

At the 2010 Commonwealth Games she won three gold medals. On 27 August 2012, just three days before the start of the 2012 Summer Paralympics, she announced her intention to retire at the end of the event.

Natalie du Toit wins Laureus Award

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

March 10 - South African swimmer Natalie du Toit (pictured) picked up the prestigious Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability Award for the first time in her career at a star-studded ceremony in Abu Dhabi tonight which was hosted by American actor Kevin Spacey.

Du Toit, who had her left leg amputated at the knee in 2001 after she was hit by a car, is a 10-time Paralympic gold medallist and one of only five athletes to have competed in the both Olympics and Paralympics.

The swimmer becomes only the second South African to have claimed the Laureus Disability Award after wheelchair racing great Ernst van Dyk picked up the prize in 2006.

Since the awards were established in 2000, some of the biggest names in disability sport have been awarded the Laureus Disability Award including legendary Canadian wheelchair racer Chantal Petitclerc and Dutch wheelchair tennis queen Esther Vergeer who remains the only athlete to have claimed the award twice, in 2002 and 2008.

South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (Sascoc) President Gideon Sam led the congratulations for du Toit as he said: "All South Africans can be proud of her spirit and her never-say-die attitude.

"She is a true inspiration to each and every athlete in this country, and the world, and we are hoping that she can build on this prestigious award as we look ahead to the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London.

"It is people like Natalie that provide the incentive for youngsters to aspire to greatness.

"She fully deserves this acknowledgement."