Sport Highlights

SPIES EN PLESIER: Javelin ace & 4x100 relay team complete SA games medal haul

Dudley Carstens|Published

SILVER STARS: SA relay heroes from left to right Walaza, Nkoana, Maswanganyi and Simbine

The Olympic Games in Paris have come and gone, with proceedings in France coming to an end last night.

Team South Africa finished the Games in 44th place overall with sixth medals – one gold, three silver and two bronze.

Two of those medals belong to swimmer Tatjana Smith, who bagged gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m event.

The two bronze medals were won by Team SA’s men’s sevens rugby team the Blitzboks and mountain biker Alan Hatherly.

The last two silver medals were won over the weekend in track and field action in the men’s 4x100m relay and and in the women’s 
javelin event.

On Friday, the 4x100m relay team of teens Bayanda Walaza and Bradley Nkoana, along with Shaun Maswanganyi and Akani Simbine finished second to Canada.

Walaza, 18 and still at school, is a year younger than Nkoane and says of winning a medal at the Games: “For me it’s kind of scary. I know when I go back to school everyone will be screaming and shouting…

“I’m truly happy...”

Then Jo-Ane van Dyk, 26, surprised Mzansi with its sixth and final games medal with her spiesgooi throw of 63.93m.

Of her medal and doubling SA’s tally from the previous games in 2020, Van Dyk says: “When the guys won silver I heard someone say we have one more medal coming and they were referring to the 4x400m relays, and I was like ‘but I’m still competing’. I was like maybe I’ll also win a medal.”

Daily Voice

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paris olympic gamesparis olympics 2024