With just over two weeks to go until the Olympic Games, South African sports fans are relishing in the countdown as if we were heading to Paris ourselves. Get ready to root for our athletes as loudly as a 2010 Vuvuzela because more athletes have been announced!
South Africa (09 July 2024) — It’s less than 20 days to go until the 2024 Paris Olympics, and as is true for South Africa when it comes to most big sporting events, we’re all as excited as if we were heading off to France ourselves.
Adding more fuel to the fire of excitement is the news that more athletes who will represent South Africa have been announced by the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), as well as more sporting disciplines like skateboarding and judo.
Two official lists of South African Olympians have already been shared, with the first cohort listed in May and the second in June. Although the days from the first list to now have flown by faster than a December holiday, there has still been time for new athletes to match their stakes and qualify for the squad, making for a well-rounded list of champions.
While the list has less athletes representing South Africa when compared to the Tokyo Olympics (mostly due to bigger teams like football and water polo not participating this year), it’s not about how many representatives we have as much as it is about the quality of the athletes—and when it comes to the latter, we’re in for a real treat of an Olympic season with many seasoned Olympians competing as well as new, up-and-coming hotshots.
“The team is a blend of both experienced and new talent with many team members having worn the green and gold of Team South Africa at previous Olympic Games,” remarked SASCOC CEO Nozipho Jafta at the briefing.
“I am excited by the balance of the squad and by its potential in Paris,” she added.
Without further ado, here are the names of more athletes who we’ll be rooting for in Paris:
Cycling Olympians
- Vincent Leygonie (BMX)
Equestrian Olympians
- Alexander Peternell (eventing)
Golf Olympians
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout
- Ashleigh Buhai
- Paula Reto
- Erik van Rooyen
Judo Olympians
- Geronay Whitebooi
Rowing Olympians
- Paige Badenhorst (single skull)
Rugby Sevens Men Olympians
(The squad will be chopped to 12 team members and 2 reserves)
- Christoffel Grobbelaar
- Ryan Oosthuizen
- Impi Visser
- Zain Davids
- Quewin Nortje
- Tiaan Pretorius
- Shaun Williams
- Selvyn Davids
- Tristan Leyds
- Rosko Specman
- Siviwe Soyizwapi
- Shilton van Wyk
- Katlego Letebele
- Ronald Brown
- Mfundo Ndhlovu
- David Brits
Skateboarding Olympians
- Boipelo Awuah (street)
- Andre Oberholzer (park)
- Brandon Valjalo (street)
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