South Africa wraps up the Paris Games with six medals in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, respectively! Zareena experienced all 12 unforgettable moments and more.
Paris, France (11 September 2024) – South Africa has wrapped up the Games in Paris with a total of six medals across both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the Olympics, we placed 44th internationally, bringing home one gold (Tatjana Smith, 100m Breaststroke), three silvers (Tatjana Smith, 200m Breaststroke; Men’s 4x100m Relay; and Jo-Ane van Dyk, Javelin), and two bronzes (Springbok Sevens – Rugby Sevens; Alan Hatherly – Cycling, Mountain Bike).
In the Paralympics, South Africa finished 43rd on the international table with two golds (Mpumelelo Mhlongo, 100m T44; Simone Kruger, Discus F38) and four bronze medals (Louzanne Coetzee, Women’s 1500m T11; Pieter du Preez, Men’s H1 Individual Time Trial; Donald Ramphadi and Lucas Sithole, Men’s Quad Wheelchair Tennis; and Mpumelelo Mhlongo, Men’s 200m T64).
More Than Just Medals: A Time of Transition
As with all major events, it’s not just the results and medal table that will be remembered. Several previous and current medallists have retired—some officially, while others are still considering their options. The will of the mind and the will of the body don’t always align. In the Paralympics, Alani Ferreira, who was classified as a T13 athlete, is now classified as T12 due to further deterioration in her vision. Her T13 records still stand, but she hopes they will soon be surpassed by Danika Vyncke, a T13 athlete with “so much talent.”
South African talent was certainly on display. In the timed events, most of our athletes achieved personal bests, resulting in several National and African records. In events with multiple rounds, returning athletes advanced further than ever before—such as in Judo at the Olympics and Archery at the Paralympics.
Support and the Road Ahead
All of this success comes from a combination of time, talent, sacrifice, and, most importantly, support. The incentives from SASCOC are helpful, but they are not enough to sustain an athlete’s career. The Bidvest Operation Excellence Programme, which is awarded based on previous results, can be a lifeline, but the contract runs until 2026 with no word yet on a renewal. Many of our Paralympic athletes, in particular, have full-time jobs—farmers, pharmacists, and analysts, to name a few—in small private enterprises, government placements, or large international firms. All of them have received support from their employers, sometimes monetarily and sometimes simply by allowing them the space to chase their goals.
Myself included. I am not an athlete, but being at the Games meant I wasn’t able to carry out my normal workload. However, my colleagues and our clients have been remarkable. At no point did they say anything other than, “Don’t worry, we will handle it.” Maybe that’s the way to start—by supporting those around us in a way that allows each person to follow their dreams. This only really works if we follow our own dreams and allow others to repay our kindness.
What will stay with me the most is the number of conversations I’ve had with athletes—Paralympians in particular—who had a “crazy idea” and followed through on it. Once they realised the opportunities, they chased them. Every retirement is an opportunity for someone new to step up to the podium. The chances of that happening seem to increase if they can learn from the elder statesmen along the way. From personal experience, people are really open to giving advice as long as you care to listen.
What’s next
So, that’s my plan—to keep talking to the people around me. When they are part of a team or a production, I’ll go and support them. I would love to keep doing this on a grand scale, but that’s not really where support starts. It starts where people come onto your radar, where intrigue and fandom might begin. If support follows that, that’s wonderful. But if it can start even earlier, that’s even better. You may never know greatness is around you—or within you—if you don’t show up.
Another realisation I’ve had is that the Games are basically built on scaffolding. Some parts are real and here to stay, but so much of it is just well-placed support. And if you want to go to the Games, you probably can. It takes a bit of everyone—make-up artists for the broadcast productions, drivers for dignitaries, logistics specialists, wannabe sports writers, and volunteers from everywhere, all becoming a part of it. If it’s your dream, you can find a way. I don’t know when or where I may get a chance to do this again, but I am just happy to have been able to witness the magic and mayhem first-hand.
So to the medallists who gave us moments to watch our flag raised. To those who won gold and allowed us to sing the anthem. To those who took part and broke records—whether personal, national, competition-specific, or world records. To those who competed for the first time, and those for the last. To those who watched every moment or just when they could. To everyone who chases a crazy dream or supports those who do. And most importantly, to everyone who made this dream of mine worth every literal cent—thank you! Let the adventure continue.
Zareena Gaibee will be on the ground in Paris for the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics events, sharing her take on the prestigious sporting event, giving exclusive insights into life at the games, and hopefully meeting many of the South Africans in Paris who are competing and supporting. She will be reporting her findings for Good Things Guy, giving readers a glimpse of what flying the flag in Paris is all about.
You can follow her series via Good Things Guy here.
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