Paris Games lay foundation for future medal prospects
Zaahier Adams
South Africa collected six medals at the recently concluded Paris 2024 Olympics. It’s three more than in Tokyo three years ago, which is, of course, a 100% improvement.
But there were also many South African participants that may not have managed to make it onto the podium, but delivered courageous performances under trying circumstances that will hopefully inspire the next generation.
Here, Independent Newspapers selects five notable SA Olympic achievers.
Dallas Oberholzer, men’s park skateboarding
The 49-year-old skateboarder was competing in his second Olympics after finishing last in Tokyo. The veteran finished last again this year in Paris, but his top score of 33.83 was his personal best.
Oberholzer celebrated with a fist pump and received a standing ovation from the crowd, which included his mother, as if he had won the gold medal.
“She accepted that I’m a skateboarder and an Olympian at the same time,” Oberholzer said. “That’s my greatest accomplishment.”
Oberholzer epitomises what the true Olympic spirit is all about, especially as he had funded his entire qualification out of his own pocket, telling Independent Newspapers prior to leaving for Paris: “I am broke as f***!”
SA 4x400m men’s relay team
The 4x100m team may be the blue-eyed boys having brought home a silver medal, but the 4x400m team gave as good as they got.
After initially finishing eighth in their heat in 3:03.19, primarily due to Lythe Pillay running into trouble at the changeover when he collided with the Spanish runner in front of him and fell, the South Africans were promoted to the final after Nigeria were later disqualified.
It was hoped that 400m world record holder Wayde van Niekerk would add fresh impetus to the line-up for the final, but the former Olympic champion opted not to race.
Instead, the quartet of Gardeo Isaacs, Zakhiti Nene, Antonie Nortje and Lythe Pillay rose to the occasion and finished in a credible fifth place in the final in a new national record time of 2:58.12.
Candice Lill, women’s cross country mountain biking
Prior to her teammate Alan Hathley winning the bronze medal in the men’s event, Lill showed off all the courage and determination that makes South Africans such fierce competitors.
Lill was fighting all the way with the leading bunch in the women’s mountain bike cross country when her back wheel burst. Instead of giving up, Lill carried her bike back to the technical area to have the wheel changed.
She fought gallantly for the remainder of the race, but unfortunately only managed to cross the line in 20th place. Her placing was not the defining factor though, but rather the Olympic spirit she displayed.
“I was feeling good, moving up and then the wheel thing happened … I came down one of the roll-downs on the course and as I hit the bottom, my back wheel just blew to pieces,” she said.
“I don’t want to regret something. You’re here for the Olympics, you have to give everything.”
Pieter Coetze, swimming
At 20 years old, Coetze is the future of South African swimming and arguably the best chance of a medal in Los Angeles in 2028.
The youngster was desperately unlucky not to claim his first medals in Paris after finishing fifth and seventh in the 100m and 200m backstroke finals. What made it even more gut-wrenching for Coetze was the fact that he broke three African records at the La Defense Arena.
He initially swam a 53.63 in the 100m backstroke semi-final before improving it to 52.58 in the final. Coetze also smashed the African record in the 200m with a time of 1:55.60.
Ashleigh Buhai, women’s golf
The South African Major winner had to overcome a range of obstacles just to compete in her second Olympics.
Buhai had injured her foot in a freak accident a little while ago and has been forced to play with painkillers for the past few weeks. Her physio was required to perform surgery on Buhai’s boots to ease some of the pain. Buhai played all four rounds at the Olympics with a hole in her boot.
Her clubs also went missing in transit and only arrived a day before the competition was set to get under way in Paris, depriving her of precious practice time on the course.
Buhai seemed to take it all in her stride as she finished the first round in second place, just three shots off the leader, but all the excitement in the build-up ultimately took its toll as she eventually finished in 13th place