A new and thrilling documentary dubbed ‘Outside Lane’ is here to invite us into the swimmer’s world; spotlighting South Africa’s new generation of Olympic swimming superstars (Kaylene Corbett, Pieter Coetzé, Erin Gallagher and Matt Sates) on their epic journey to Paris which began decades ago:
South Africa (01 August 2024) — As we marvel at the Olympians from the comfort of our homes, it’s easy to find ourselves forgetting the sheer amount of work that went into these athletes’ journeys to Paris. We aren’t often privy to the many hours of training, the sacrifices and extraordinary efforts that make for greatness. But for those who love a backstory and a deep dive of this kind, a new and thrilling documentary aptly titled ‘Outside Lane’ is here to invite us into the swimmer’s world, spotlighting South Africa’s new generation of Olympic swimming superstars.
The four-part documentary follower four South African swimmers (Kaylene Corbett, Pieter Coetzé, Erin Gallagher and Matthew Sates) and their quest for success that started decades before they boarded the plane to Paris for the games. It’ll take us through their training, give us a look into their mental positions, their emotions, dynamics and of course, their drive to succeed in Paris.
Brought to us by the same producers who created School Ties, Steinheist and Devilsdorp, ‘Outside Lane’ shows us firsthand what it takes to compete at the highest levels of the sport in which South Africa has achieved its greatest Olympic success since re-admission—swimming.
The four swimmers are not yet household names in comparison to the likes of Ryk Neethling, Chad le Clos or Tatjana Smith, but they are well on their way; precisely what makes ‘Outside Line’ so exciting is that these will be South Africa’s next legends in swimming.
But it’s not just about the athletes. The coach behind generations of South African swimming talent is the legendary Rocco Meiring, Head Coach of Tuks Swimming at the University of Pretoria, who presides over what has come to be known as SA’s ‘Pool of Gold’.
“The outside lane of the pool is the most difficult position to compete from, relative to centre lanes. Swimmers need to work extra hard to overcome this disadvantage—a metaphor for the South African swimmers who have to go beyond to become world beaters,” explains Series Director Richard Finn.
Richard adds that 16 of 37 South African Olympic medals have been won in the pool.
“And we’re working with a fraction of the resources of teams like the USA. It shouldn’t be a fair fight but the indomitable South African spirit, incredible natural talent and the world-class expertise of Coach Rocco all combine to deliver swimmers who are punching well above their weight.”
You can catch ‘Outside Lane’ on DStv Premium on M-Net (Channel 101) from 15 August as well as on Catch Up and Stream.
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