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RIO DE JANEIRO — The world’s greatest multisport spectacle starts here on Saturday, with SA poised to deliver its greatest Olympic performance since readmission — possibly even of all time.
Cyclists Louis Meintjes and Daryl Impey are the country’s first chances for silverware in the men’s road race on Saturday, launching a weekend where nine medal prospects will be in action before the end of Sunday.
That is up 300% on London 2012, when there were just three podium contenders on the opening two days of the 16-day showpiece; in the end SA bagged six medals, featuring three gold, for its best haul of the postisolation era from 1992.
The rowing foursome and swimmers Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh competed on that weekend four years ago.
The lightweight men eased through their heats, Van der Burgh stormed to the 100m breaststroke Olympic crown and Le Clos ended fifth in the 400m individual medley behind fourth-placed Michael Phelps. Three nights later Le Clos stunned Phelps for the 200m butterfly gold.
Meintjes, with the help of Impey, is vying for SA’s first possible gong on Saturday, while his female counterpart, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, rides on Sunday.
Van der Burgh will attempt to defend his 100m breaststroke mantle, while Le Clos has added the 200m freestyle to his arsenal, bringing him into play on Sunday.
He will start his premier butterfly events from Monday.
As for rowing, head coach Roger Barrow has nurtured at least four crews with the firepower to reach the podium.
John Smith and James Thompson, the only London survivors, are in the lightweight men’s double sculls, while Kirsty McCann and Ursula Grobler are in the women’s lightweight double sculls.
Shaun Keeling and cancer survivor Lawrence Brittain will be a force in the men’s heavyweight pairs, while Lee-Ann Persse and Kate Christowitz are not far off the pace in the women’s pairs.
The fifth boat, the men’s heavyweight four, might be inexperienced and young, but they are determined and capable.
The rowing finals are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Swimmers Myles Brown and Christopher Reid might not be contenders in their individual races this weekend — Brown swims the 400m freestyle on Saturday and Reid the 100m backstroke on Sunday — but combined they could be contenders as members of the 4x100m medley relay next Saturday night.
Reid is a definite for that team, as are Van der Burgh and Le Clos. Brown, however, has yet to be named amid a tussle for the final freestyle leg.
The BlitzBoks will be SA’s 10th prospect for silverware when they embark on their campaign on Tuesday, with the medal matches scheduled for Thursday.
By the end of the first full week in London, SA had four medals, including Le Clos’s 100m fly silver. If they can push that to at least six by next Friday, the dream of a record will stay alive.
SA’s biggest Olympic track and field team in history is spearheaded by world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, 800m star Caster Semenya, javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen and long jumper Ruswahl Samaai, not to mention triathlete Richard Murray and Bridgitte Hartley in canoeing.
SA’s record haul is 10 medals, with three gold, at Antwerp 1920, followed by 10 medals, including two gold, at Helsinki 1952.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
SA aims for weekend Rio haul
RIO DE JANEIRO — The world’s greatest multisport spectacle starts here on Saturday, with SA poised to deliver its greatest Olympic performance since readmission — possibly even of all time.
Cyclists Louis Meintjes and Daryl Impey are the country’s first chances for silverware in the men’s road race on Saturday, launching a weekend where nine medal prospects will be in action before the end of Sunday.
That is up 300% on London 2012, when there were just three podium contenders on the opening two days of the 16-day showpiece; in the end SA bagged six medals, featuring three gold, for its best haul of the postisolation era from 1992.
The rowing foursome and swimmers Chad le Clos and Cameron van der Burgh competed on that weekend four years ago.
The lightweight men eased through their heats, Van der Burgh stormed to the 100m breaststroke Olympic crown and Le Clos ended fifth in the 400m individual medley behind fourth-placed Michael Phelps. Three nights later Le Clos stunned Phelps for the 200m butterfly gold.
Meintjes, with the help of Impey, is vying for SA’s first possible gong on Saturday, while his female counterpart, Ashleigh Moolman-Pasio, rides on Sunday.
Van der Burgh will attempt to defend his 100m breaststroke mantle, while Le Clos has added the 200m freestyle to his arsenal, bringing him into play on Sunday.
He will start his premier butterfly events from Monday.
As for rowing, head coach Roger Barrow has nurtured at least four crews with the firepower to reach the podium.
John Smith and James Thompson, the only London survivors, are in the lightweight men’s double sculls, while Kirsty McCann and Ursula Grobler are in the women’s lightweight double sculls.
Shaun Keeling and cancer survivor Lawrence Brittain will be a force in the men’s heavyweight pairs, while Lee-Ann Persse and Kate Christowitz are not far off the pace in the women’s pairs.
The fifth boat, the men’s heavyweight four, might be inexperienced and young, but they are determined and capable.
The rowing finals are scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
Swimmers Myles Brown and Christopher Reid might not be contenders in their individual races this weekend — Brown swims the 400m freestyle on Saturday and Reid the 100m backstroke on Sunday — but combined they could be contenders as members of the 4x100m medley relay next Saturday night.
Reid is a definite for that team, as are Van der Burgh and Le Clos. Brown, however, has yet to be named amid a tussle for the final freestyle leg.
The BlitzBoks will be SA’s 10th prospect for silverware when they embark on their campaign on Tuesday, with the medal matches scheduled for Thursday.
By the end of the first full week in London, SA had four medals, including Le Clos’s 100m fly silver. If they can push that to at least six by next Friday, the dream of a record will stay alive.
SA’s biggest Olympic track and field team in history is spearheaded by world 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk, 800m star Caster Semenya, javelin thrower Sunette Viljoen and long jumper Ruswahl Samaai, not to mention triathlete Richard Murray and Bridgitte Hartley in canoeing.
SA’s record haul is 10 medals, with three gold, at Antwerp 1920, followed by 10 medals, including two gold, at Helsinki 1952.
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Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.