How SA swimmer Marianne Kriel won Atlanta Olympics bronze medal ‘twice’

IN our series leading up to the Paris Olympics, Independent Newspapers will catch up with former South African Olympians to regale us with their unique experiences.

Today, we feature swimmer Marianne Kriel...

Marianne Kriel: Swimming. Bronze medallist, 100m backstroke, Atlanta 1996

“The first Olympics was all due to Madiba. He made it all happen for us. It was really incredible to be part of the first South African team at the Olympics post-isolation (Kriel was in fact the first SA athlete to compete at the Olympics since 1960, and Nelson Mandela was poolside to cheer her on at Barcelona 1992).

“You could feel that you were a part of history, and it being in Barcelona, where it was so beautiful, with the Olympic Village on the beach, it was almost surreal.

“Suddenly, we had gone from swimming in front of 50 parents in the cold and wind at Newlands pool to now swimming before 25 000 people and millions watching on television around the world.

“It was a real eye-opener. We did not know where we would rank. It was quite daunting. But it was absolutely wonderful, especially as I was able to share that with my late parents.

“Upon returning from Barcelona, I would meet up with people back home, and they would ask where I finished. I would proudly say 10th place, and they would respond all disappointed.

“I was quite taken aback by that and promised myself that I would not come tenth again, and would work harder than ever before. I promise you, for the next four years I trained six hours a day.

“It was a real battle, but I had a private dream that I could medal in Atlanta. Arriving in America, everything was bigger, better, louder and it didn’t have that same incredible feeling of Barcelona for me.

“But I was there for business. I just wanted to swim my heart out and show I could represent my country in a good way and make everyone proud.

“It just becomes (about) so much more than yourself, and that’s something that you only appreciate having gone the second time.

“I had a great heat and then in the finals I just swam the best race of my life. When it mattered, I was able to pull that out, and I couldn’t believe it. To this day I always say that I was the happiest bronze medallist in the history of the Olympic Games.”

What was it like standing on the podium receiving that bronze medal?

“I am a crier. I am an emotional person. So, I cried. Standing there, seeing our new South African flag being raised, I just wanted to take in every second of that moment. It was really special. I was just pinching myself, (asking) is this really happening?’”

Fellow South African Penny Heyns also won double gold in 1996. Did that give you the belief that you could beat the best in the world?

“She was phenomenal. She inspired all of us. She was in a league of her own. We were only seven swimmers, a really small team, and we all got on really well. We inspired each other.”

Post the Olympics, there is an incredible story regarding your medal, though …

“It’s quite amazing actually, and your media company (Independent Newspapers) had plenty to do with it. My medal was stolen out of my brother’s safe at his house. I was in tears and I couldn’t find it.

“Your newspaper actually ran a story about my stolen medal. And then, miraculously, four months later, someone found it in the rubbish bin across the street from a pawn shop.

“The ribbon had been cut of and it had been scratched but then just ditched it in the dirt bin.

“A gentleman by the name of Randall, who was cleaning that day, then found it, and apparently he could not read and he showed it to someone. This person then told him that’s an Olympic medal.

“Randall then cleaned it, and took it home and put it up on their wall.

“He later told me that it was his wife that told him ‘listen, we don’t have the story that goes with this, maybe we should try to figure out whose it actually is’.

“And then Randall told another Randall about it, who told him that he had read somewhere that a ‘swim chick’ had her medal stolen.

“They went back to the newspaper and said that they had it in their possession. The editor at the time called me, and said ‘don’t get excited, but I might have your medal’.

“I immediately said to him ‘does it have women’s 100m backstroke engraved on the rim?’

“He checked and replied ‘yes’, and I literally screamed his head off in excitement.

“It was incredible, and my parents gave the two Randalls a reward. It really feels like I won it twice!”