Cyclist Alan Hatherly scoops SA’s second Olympic medal

Mountain-biker Alan Hatherly has won SA’s second medal of the Paris Olympics, taking bronze in the cross-country event on Monday.

He finished behind Briton Tom Pidcock, who twice battled his way from behind to take the lead, and Frenchman Victor Koretzky to claim SA’s first Olympic cycling medal since Melbourne 1956. 

Hatherly attacked from the start, moving into the lead early on, and though he dropped back to seventh  at one stage, he kept pressing and surging to move into third spot with a healthy gap behind him.

Pidcock, the pre-race favourite, was forced to stop for a wheel change and Hatherly moved into second until the Briton powered his way back up the front of the field, eventually winning in 1hr 26min 22sec.

Hatherly, who finished 11sec behind the Englishman, had gunned for the win. “I think right now I’m a bit bleak that gold was so close, but I definitely left everything out there and bronze was all I could do today and I’m happy with that.

“I fought all the way through to the end and I think I did a smart race, pacing it well,” said the 28-year-old who finished eighth in Tokyo three years ago and 42nd at Rio 2016. “To finish off with bronze — I’m going home smiling — so happy days.”

Hatherly, just two seconds behind the silver medallist, said he had struggled under the blazing French sun.

“It was a super tactical race and I think it was really hard to manage the heat.  I got really hot when the race started to split and I was just managing that. And then in the end it was all out and whatever you had left.”

Cycling and rugby sevens are both on the board with bronze medals, and swimmers Tatjana Smith and Pieter Coetzé were to attempt to add to that on Monday night.

Two oceans away in Tahiti surfers Jordy Smith and Sarah Baum are still in the competition, with the final medal contests set for early Wednesday morning.

Smith was due to take on Alonso Correa of Peru in a round-three contest on Monday evening, where victory will get him into the quarterfinals. At 1.30am on Tuesday Baum was scheduled to go up against defending champion Carissa Moore of the US, who beat SA’s Bianca Buitendag in the final in Tokyo three years ago.

Skateboarder Brandon Valjalo ended 12th in the street competition on Monday, recovering well from a bad first run that initially had him at the back of the 22-strong field. He missed out on the final by four spots.

The women’s sevens rugby team led Britain 12-0 late in the first half, but were beaten 26-17, ending any hopes of them squeezing into the quarterfinals like the Blitzboks, Team SA’s other bronze medallist. 

Eventing rider Alex Peternell completed his three-competition 43rd overall, an improvement on the 49th he managed at London 2012.