Summary
– Paris 2024 Olympics approaching swiftly.
– South African athletes prepare eagerly.
– Team announced by SASCOC.
– Incentives: Gold (R400k), Silver (R200k), Bronze (R75k).
The road to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is quickly winding down, while excitement builds with each nearing day.
Set to begin on 26 July, what once seemed far into the future is now right around the corner, with many South African athletes having worked fiercely to book their spots in France.
The full Team South Africa Olympic squad has been announced as the first firing line of representatives for our country in fields spanning aquatics, athletics, gymnastics, sport climbing, surfing, wrestling and canoeing.
Announced by the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC) the list comprises 39 squad members and indicates the incentives these athletes have to give the Olympic Games their all beyond prestigious accolades and making the country proud:
- Gold medallist will bank R400,000 (while the coach receives R100,000)
- Silver will take home R200,000 (coach receives R50,000)
- Bronze will walk away with R75,000 (with R25,000 for the coach)
Here are the South Africans Heading to the Olympic Games
Aquatics Olympians
- Aimee Canny (200m freestyle)
- Pieter Coetzee (100m and 200m backstroke)
- Kaylene Corbett (200m breaststroke)
- Erin Gallagher (100m butterfly)
- Chad le Clos (100m butterfly)
- Rebecca Meder (200m IM)
- Matthew Sates (100m, 200m butterfly and 200m IM)
- Tatjana Smith (100m, 200m breaststroke)
- Julia Vincent (diving, 3 m springboard)
Athletics Olympians
- Luxolo Adams (200m)
- Marion Fourie (100mH)
- Zeney Geldenhuys (400mH)
- Rogail Joseph (400mH)
- Stephen Mokoka (marathon)
- Zakhiti Nene (400m)
- Cian Oldknow (marathon)
- Lythe Pillay (400m)
- Benjamin Richardson (200m)
- Akani Simbine (100m)
- Prudence Sekgodiso (800m)
- Gerda Steyn (marathon)
- Tshepo Tshite(1500m)
- Wade van Niekerk (400m)
- Jovan van Vurren (long jump)
- Irvette van Zyl(marathon)
- Adriaan Wildschutt (5000m, 10000m)
Canoeing Olympians
- Andrew Birkett (kayak sprint)
- Tiffany Koch (kayak sprint)
- Hamish Lovemore (kayak sprint)
- Esti Olivier (kayak sprint)
Gymnastics Olympian
- Caitlin Rooskrantz
Sport Climbing
- Joshua Bruyns (speed climbing)
- Aniya Holder (speed climbing)
- Mel Janse van Rensburg (lead and boulder)
- Lauren Mukheibir (lead and boulder)
Surfing
- Sarah Ann Baum
- Matthew McGillivray
- Jordy Smith
Wrestling
- Nicholas Steyn (92kg)
Akani Simbine Profile
Akani Simbine (born 21 September 1993) is a South African sprinter specialising in the 100 metres event.
He was fifth at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the men’s 100 metres and was the 100 metres African record holder with a time of 9.84 seconds set in July 2021 until broken by Ferdinand Omanyala in September 2021.
Simbine was a World Championships finalist in the men’s 100 metres in 2017 (fifth) and 2019 (fourth), and was 100 metres champion at the 2018 African Championships and 2018 Commonwealth Games. In the 4 × 100 metres relay, he helped South Africa become champions at the African Championships in 2016 and 2018, and place second at the 2018 Commonwealth Games with a South African record time of 38.24 seconds. He anchored South Africa to gold at the 2021 World Relays. Simbine has finished inside the top 5 in the last four major championship 100m races, including 4th in 2019 World Athletics Championships – Men’s 100 metres and Athletics at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men’s 100 metres missing out on the bronze medal to Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse.
Circuit wins and national titles
- Diamond League (100 m)
- Doha: 2017
- London: 2019
- Rome: 2020
- South African Championships
- 100 m: 2015, 2017, 2021
- 200 m: 2019
Seasonal bests
| Year | 100 m | 200 m |
| 2010 | 10.61 | 21.91 |
| 2011 | 10.57 | 21.27 |
| 2012 | 10.19 | 20.68 |
| 2013 | 10.36 | 20.79 |
| 2014 | 10.02 | 20.37 |
| 2015 | 9.97 | 20.23 |
| 2016 | 9.89 | 20.16 |
| 2017 | 9.92 | 19.95 |
| 2018 | 9.93 | — |
| 2019 | 9.92 | 20.27 |
| 2020 | 9.91 A | — |
| 2021 | 9.84 | 20.29 A w |
