A personal best time in Thursday nights backstroke final wont matter for Team South Africa s Pieter Coetze unless its accompanied by a medal.
Coetze is one of three of three South Africans fighting for a place on the podium in the pool on Thursday. Tatjana Smith and Kaylene Corbett have also qualified for the 200 breaststroke final.
It will be the 20-year-old Coetzes second final this week after finishing fifth with a personal best time in the 100m backstroke. It went a little unnoticed, though, after Tatjana Smith heroics in the pool when she grabbed the gold in the 100m breaststroke on the same night.
But now Coetzee is aiming for a medal, having qualified as the third fastest swimmer from the two semi-finals. He can put his own name in lights in Paris.
For Coetze, however, it wont matter if he swims a personal best time or not, as long as he gets on that podium.
