Van Dyk and Raats target medals in Paris

Paris — Jo-Ane van Dyk gave the SA athletics squad a much-needed lift as she sent the javelin soaring to a lifetime best at the Paris Olympics on Wednesday to qualify for the women’s final on Saturday.

She was the first South African field athlete to advance beyond the qualifying round at Stade de France, and she was quickly followed by high-jumper Brian Raats.

And then medical student Edmund du Plessis finished second in his 800m heat to advance to the semifinals.

Van Dyk’s 64.22m effort was the best throw of Group A, which competed first, and ended up being the fourth-best overall.

Seeded ahead of her were Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Maria Andrejczyk of Poland (65.52), 2016 Olympic champion Sara Kolak of Croatia (64.57) and Colombia’s world championship silver medallist Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado (64.40).

“The automatic qualifying was 62m so I knew I could steer the one throw,” said Van Dyk. “That was just the plan. I actually didn’t want to throw a PB [personal best]. I was thinking I’m just going to throw over 62, but no, I can’t control the adrenaline.”

Van Dyk, the under-20 world championship silver medallist from 2016, is one of the South Africans who has worked her way to the Games without official support.

And she unleashed her potential on the biggest stage of all by staying relaxed in the moment.

“I was very calm about it, I knew I could do it,” she said, adding she wasn’t immediately sure that it would be as good as it was. “I knew I’d pull hard, but I didn’t know if it could be good. The rhythm felt good, so I’m very happy.”

Van Dyk, the only field athlete to make the finals at the world championships in 2023, said she wanted to be relaxed for the final on Saturday. “That’s important. I think the adrenaline does the rest of the work.

“The final, anything can happen, but I’m very positive because if I can throw a 64 like that, it might be big throws,” said the 26-year-old.

Her throw elevated her to 10th in the world this year so far.

Raats cleared 2.24m to secure his qualification for the final, also scheduled for Saturday.

He failed twice at 2.20m before changing his run-up, at the suggestion of his coach, Martin Marx, who had worked with Hestrie Cloete a high-jump silver medallist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

“The first few run-up, the steps weren’t in, so I had to switch to old style, to standing steps... I had to quickly switch to that just so I can get more control over the run,” he said, explaining the track was too quick.

“I’m a speed jumper so I couldn’t control all that speed so I had to conserve, stand still so I can get my strides back,” said the biokinetics student at North West University.

Preparing for his final third jump at 2.20 he was confident he would clear that, having done so often this year.

“But I was a bit scared, if I’m honest, my heart was racing. But I asked the crowd, I love big crowds, so I just jumped it.”

Du Plessis proved he had the kick as he comfortably stayed in the top three to advance to the semifinals on Friday.

“I also thought the guys are going to come and come faster because you see these guys in Diamond League. I’ve never been with them in races so it always looks so fast.

“But when I kicked, they were with me or didn’t come past me. I was like ‘ja, I’m pound for pound with these guys,” said Du Plessis, who crossed the line in 1min 45.73sec.

He had planned to start out in third or fourth position and wait for his chance, but he found himself in front early on.

“I just thought to myself, ‘OK, don’t do all the work, but just stay there as long as you can’ ... and then we picked it up a bit on the back straight, but I just thought ‘just go with them, they’re also going to be tired’.”