While Team SA did not set the 2024 Paris Olympics alight, the country did enjoy some stand-out moments that made all South Africans proud and swelled patriotism. Check out some of the best moments from South Africa’s involvement in the 2024 Summer Olympics:
Golden Girl Tatjana Flies the SA Flag
Swimmer Tatjana Smith was South Africa’s most successful Olympian at the 2024 Paris Olympics, bagging the country’s only gold medal in the women’s 100-metre breaststroke as well as silver in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke. Smith then retired from competitive swimming at the end of the Olympics, leaving a legacy as one of South Africa’s best-ever Olympians. Beyond her exploits at the 2024 Olympics, she also won 2 medals at the 2020 Olympics games (held in 2021), winning a gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke and a silver medal in the 100-metre breaststroke, setting Olympic records in both events and the world record in the former. Smith truly deserves all the plaudits for her legendary swimming career.
Akani Comes So Close in the 100 metres Final
In one of the closest 100 Metres men’s finals of all time, Akani Simbine came agonisingly close to grabbing a bronze medal for South Africa but came 4th by 0,1 seconds finishing in 9.82 seconds. The race winner, US’s Noah Lyles just edged out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson, despite both crossing the line in 9.79 seconds. It was heartbreaking that Simbine missed out on a medal by such a tiny margin, but he still made South Africans immensely proud with his outstanding performance in one of the best Olympics 100-metre final races ever.
Sevens Heaven
South Africa’s sevens rugby team, known as the “Blitzbokke”, were the first South African Olympians to bring medal glory to the nation when they beat Australia to claim the bronze medal in the Olympic sevens competition. It was a remarkable turnaround for the Blitzbokke, who didn’t even qualify on the sevens circuit for the Olympics, and had to qualify through the World Rugby Sevens Repechage tournament in Monaco.
The Blitzbokke’s chances of a medal also looked non-existent after the first day of the sevens competition, as they were defeated by both Ireland and New Zealand. On the second day though, the team came into their own, qualifying for the quarterfinals by smashing Japan 49-5, and then shocking New Zealand 14-7 to qualify for the semifinals. Even though the Blitzbokke lost 5-19 to hosts France in the semis, they managed to beat Australia 26-19 in the bronze medal match, scoring the winning try in injury time.
Team SA sprints to 4x100m Silver
South Africa’s 4x100 metres relay team made the country proud as they bagged silver in a super competitive race. Akani Simbine finally won the Olympic medal that he so coveted, as Simbine secured 2nd place for the SA team in the last leg of the race. Simbine made up a lot of ground in his sprint, but couldn’t quite catch the Canadian team, who surprised all by winning the gold medal. The US team were the favourites to win the gold, but messed up in the first exchange, as Bednarek almost came to a complete stop trying to complete the handoff. In the end, the US finished 7th but was disqualified from the race for running out of the zone. By winning silver, Simbine and his teammates Bayanda Walaza, Shaun Maswanganyi and Bradley Nkoana achieved legendary status.
Jo-Ane van Dyk earns Team South Africa’s sixth medal
Javelin thrower Jo-Ane van Dyk ensured that Team SA finished the 2024 Olympics on a high, as she won silver and the country’s 6th medal during the women's javelin at the Stade de France. Van Dyk produced a third effort of 63.93m, which moved into the silver medal position, behind Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi, who opened with a winning 65.80m throw.
The South African’s first throw of 59.72m was seen as below par, but. she improved this effort by exactly two metres to 61.72m. Her third throw proved to be 25cm better than bronze medallist Nikola Ogrodnikova, and 53cm better than the fourth-placed finisher, Sara Kolak.
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